ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Pig Keepers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of pig keepers who also keep (a) ducks and (b) poultry.

Jim Knight: Based on the June 2004 Survey of Agriculture the number of holdings in England recording poultry and pigs were:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 (a) Pigs and ducks 1,823 
			 (b) Pigs and poultry (including ducks) 4,091 
		
	
	Source:
	June Agricultural Survey.

Poultry Keepers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many poultry keepers she estimates there are in England.

Jim Knight: Based on the June 2004 Survey of Agriculture the estimated number of holdings in England recording poultry was around 34,000.
	Source:
	June Agricultural Survey

Ragwort Control Act

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to ensure that local authorities highways departments comply with the Ragwort Control Act 2003 Code of Practice.

Jim Knight: Copies of the code were made available to all local authorities at the time of publication in July last year. The code provides advice for large scale land managers on how to develop a strategic approach to ragwort control. Feedback that we have had from a number of local councils during this summer indicates they are taking seriously the provisions of the code and the need to control ragwort where it poses a threat to animal welfare. Where Defra receives concerns about ragwort spreading from local authority land to land used for grazing animals or the production of conserved forage, we investigate the complaint in accordance with our enforcement procedures under the Weeds Act.

Ragwort Control Act

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken to ensure that other Government Departments are aware of the provisions of the Ragwort Control Act 2003 Code of Practice.

Jim Knight: Defra worked closely with other Government Departments, including Department for Transport, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Estates when drawing up the provisions of the Code of Practice on how to prevent the spread of ragwort. The code was published in July last year and all relevant Government Departments received a copy of the final version.

Rural Post Offices, Banks and Shops

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the effects of the closure of rural (a) post offices, (b) bank branches and (c) independent retail shops in the south-east.

Jim Knight: The Department receives a range of representations on issues relating to provision of services in rural areas, including post offices, bank branches and retail shops. I am aware of the importance of local services to rural communities, and my Department works with others to improve the accessibility of these services.
	In relation to the south-east, in the last year we have received a letter from Councillor Mike FitzGerald (Maidstone borough council) concerning changes in provision to postal services in the Maidstone area.

Snares

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on where and why the Department will give licences for the use of snares.

Jim Knight: holding answer 21 October 2005
	The Department does not routinely issue licences for the use of snares unless the species are listed under schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
	As with any licence, we would assess whether the proposed action on wildlife is justified and appropriate.
	On 19 October, the Department launched a Code of Practice on the Use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control. This code details the legal obligations for people using snares in England and Wales, and also includes information on alternatives available to land managers to minimise damage to game, wildlife, livestock and crops caused by rabbits and foxes.
	A copy of the code together with the report of the Independent Working Group on snares can be found on the following web page:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/index.htm

TRANSPORT

A21 Upgrade

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what inquiries his Department is undertaking regarding statutory blight compensation for people affected by the proposed A21 upgrade in East Sussex.

Stephen Ladyman: Inquiries are currently being undertaken, under the statutory blight provisions, on 12 applications received from people affected by the proposed A21 Flimwell to Robertsbridge upgrade in East Sussex.

Merchant Navy

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2005, Official Report, column 671W, on merchant navy, how many of the (a) officers and (b) seamen serving in the merchant marine in each year between 1994 and 2004 were British citizens.

Stephen Ladyman: All the officers and seamen are UK citizens.

Motorways

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress on the trial M42 hard shoulder running.

Stephen Ladyman: The trial of hard shoulder running will be the final phase of the M42 Active Traffic Management project and is included in the Highways Agency's Business Plan as a target to be delivered by March 2007. There will be comprehensive publicity prior to its introduction.

Northern Line

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the public-private partnership funding arrangements for the Northern Line; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: holding answer 21 October 2005
	The Northern Line PFI contract is the responsibility of Tube Lines, and the management of the contract is a matter for the mayor and Transport for London. The Department expects both London Underground and Tube Lines to manage effectively the PPP and PFI contracts and ensure that their contractual requirements are met.
	The PPP contracts are about delivering lasting solutions to reverse the historic under-investment in the Underground. The Government has committed more than a £1 billion a year to Transport for London to provide the long-term stability and investment necessary for London Underground to deliver the service that Londoners deserve.

Rail Franchises

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to announce the award of the contract for the integrated Kent franchise.

Derek Twigg: The award of the integrated Kent franchise is due to be announced before the end of 2005.

Road Closures (Sporting Events)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which trunk roads in the east midlands were closed on 2 September 2005 as a result of a cycle race taking place; how long those closures were operative in each case; and on whose authority the closures were authorised.

Stephen Ladyman: The annual Tour of Britain cycle race held on 2 September 2005, crossed east midlands trunk roads A46/A606 Widmerpool roundabout, and A52/A606 Wheatcroft roundabout, both in Nottinghamshire. For safety reasons the slip roads to these trunk roads were briefly closed by uniformed police outriders using police powers, for two 15 minute periods each, with a 10-minute gap between each closure to allow the cyclists to cross the roads safely. The trunk roads were not actually closed.

Road Closures (Sporting Events)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his policy is regarding road closures taking place for non-essential, non-transport related events; whether any assessments are made before such closures are authorised of the likely congestion to be caused; whether he plans to review his policy on such closures; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what advice he has issued to highway authorities concerning road closures for social or sporting events.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department's policy on road closures for special events is that generally this is a matter for local authorities to decide under their powers at Section 16A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
	The Department published the network management duty guidance under part 2 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 in November 2004. The annex on good practice provides guidance for local authorities on event planning processes and management practices so as to minimise disruption to the local network.
	In preparation for HM the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Department also issued advice to the chief executives of all English local authorities on temporary road closures to facilitate events, such as street parties.
	The Home Office are currently preparing The Good Practice Safety Guide for small and sporting events taking place on the highway, roads and public places", which will include advice on temporary road closures.
	The Department plans to bring forward proposals by way of a Regulatory Reform Order to repeal section 16B of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 so that the requirements on local authorities for making orders for sporting, social or entertainment events lasting longer than three days held on road are relaxed.

School Buses

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations apply to the safety of children who are fare-paying passengers on designated school buses; what regulations apply to the supervision of such children; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: The same regulations apply to vehicles used on these services as apply to vehicles used on a local bus service available to the general public. There are no regulations as such that apply to the supervision of such children. Where local authorities consider that supervision is required on school buses they can stipulate this in their tender documents.

Terrorist Suspect Renditions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to establish whether aircraft passing through UK airports are being used for the extraordinary rendition of terrorist suspects; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: holding answer 19 October 2005
	Where aircraft are making refuelling or other technical stops at UK airports there is no requirement on the operators to provide passenger lists. We are not currently aware of any evidence that aircraft passing through UK airports have been used for the purposes described.

Transport Studies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many studies of transport funded by his Department are in progress within the (a) Essex and (b) Greater London areas; and what the cost of such studies is in (i) internal departmental costs and (ii) fees and payments to consultants and research organisations.

Karen Buck: Essex county council receives funding from DfT for capital and maintenance programmes. The council determines its priorities and how it wishes to spend its funds through its Local Transport Plan. The authority has the choice to commission transport studies from funding and can decide who is best suited to undertake any such study.
	The funding arrangements with the Mayor of London are different from the rest of the country. However, the principle remains the same with the mayor deciding whether funds should be spent on transport studies.

Volunteering

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many volunteering positions his Department has offered in each of the last five years.

Karen Buck: The Department for Transport recognises the benefits of volunteering both to the individual and the organisation as outlined in the Department's strategy Working in Partnership with the Voluntary and Community Sector".
	The Department does not hold information on the number of volunteering positions offered in each of the last five years. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Property Sales (Vauxhall)

Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many properties the Church Commissioners have sold in Vauxhall constituency in the last two years.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners have sold 135 residential and seven commercial properties in the Vauxhall constituency in the last two years.

Property Sales (Vauxhall)

Kate Hoey: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what assurances have been given to the tenants of properties sold by the Church Commissioners in Vauxhall constituency in the last two years regarding the level of their rent.

Stuart Bell: The sale was of the freehold only; existing tenancy arrangements were not changed. Future tenancy arrangements will be for the new owners, a 50/50 partnership between a social housing provider and a private landlord.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Departmental Vehicles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Solicitor-General how many vehicles for which the Law Officers' Department are responsible are fitted with retreaded tyres.

Mike O'Brien: For information on the use of retread tyres in vehicles provided to departments by the Government Car and Dispatch Agency I refer the hon. Member to the letter of 11 October 2005 which he received from the Chief Executive of the GCDA, reference UIN 15087 and UIN 15088. Copies of this letter are available in the Library.
	I am told the Departments which the Law Officers' supervise, the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office, the Serious Fraud Office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and HM CPS Inspectorate, do not own or lease any vehicles. The Crown Prosecution Service has 20 leased vehicles, none of which use retreaded tyres.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

1911 Census

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs by what means members of the public can gain access to information from the 1911 Census.

Harriet Harman: It is Government policy that decennial census returns should remain closed for a period of 100 years. The National Archives is, therefore, developing plans to make the 1911 census publicly available online in 2012.

Access to Justice

Ian Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure access to justice for residents of the EU working in England and Wales.

Harriet Harman: The Government is working with European partners on a programme of measures aimed at making it easier for citizens to resolve civil disputes across European borders, to improve mutual recognition of judgments throughout Europe and to enable uncontested debts to be collected without going to court.
	The Government has also implemented the European Union Directive on civil legal aid in cross-border cases. That directive will mean that UK and other European citizens who are eligible according to member states' rules will now be able to receive legal aid and assistance in civil disputes throughout the European Union.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance has been given to juvenile courts in relation to custodial sentences for offenders in breach of antisocial behaviour orders.

Harriet Harman: At present no specific guidance has been issued to courts on sentencing children and young persons for breach of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs).
	The responsibility for issuing definitive guidelines on sentencing rests with the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC), which was established under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The SGC's work programme for 2005–06 includes the sentencing of young offenders, as well as for breaches of orders. The Council guidelines will be based on advice from the Sentencing Advisory Panel following a wide-ranging public consultation.

Court-admissible DNA Tests

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what guidance her Department issues to laboratories which wish to become accredited to provide court-admissible DNA tests;
	(2)  what measures are in place to ensure that laboratories not accredited to conduct court-admissible DNA tests do not submit DNA tests in court hearings;
	(3)  how many laboratories with accreditation to undertake court-admissible DNA testing have closed down in the last five years;
	(4)  how many laboratories have had their applications for licences to undertake court-admissible DNA tests turned down in each of the last four years for which figures are available; and what reasons were given for turning down their applications in each case;
	(5)  whether laboratories accredited to conduct court-admissible DNA testing are permitted to contract DNA tests out to other (a) accredited companies and (b) other unaccredited companies.
	(6)  what consultations were undertaken in the drawing up of the criteria applicable to laboratories applying for a licence to conduct DNA tests for paternity cases;
	(7)  what criteria her Department applies to laboratories applying for a licence to conduct court-admissible DNA tests; and when the criteria were most recently updated;
	(8)  how many laboratories licensed to undertake court-admissible DNA testing are operating in the UK; and how many laboratories have applications pending to undertake such testing;
	(9)  if she will list the laboratories licensed to conduct court-admissible DNA tests; and which (a) hold and (b) do not hold an International Standards Organisation 17025 Certificate;
	(10)  how many visits representatives of the Department made to the laboratories of DNA Diagnostics in Ohio, USA; and how many visits have been made by agencies based in the US on the Department's behalf;
	(11)  if she will list the companies accredited by the Department for conducting court-admissible DNA tests which have laboratories outside the UK;
	(12)  whether the Department has received representations concerning DNA Bioscience from the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) during 2005;
	(13)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the application for accreditation to conduct court-admissible DNA tests submitted by DNA Bioscience;
	(14)  what systems are in place to monitor the financial accounts of companies that have been accredited to conduct court-admissible DNA tests;
	(15)  what action will be taken by the Department against companies that supply incorrect information during the accreditation process for conducting court-admissible DNA tests.

Bridget Prentice: My Department is currently investigating the matters raised in the hon. Member's questions, and I will write when I am in a position to do so.

Cremations and Burials

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many (a) cremations and (b) burials of deceased human bodies have been carried out in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Harriet Harman: The number of cremations and burials of deceased human bodies in the years 2000–04 in the United Kingdom is not recorded centrally.

District Judge (Northamptonshire)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the merits of appointing a district judge for Northamptonshire.

Harriet Harman: I have made no assessment on the appointment of a District Judge (Magistrates' Courts) (DJ (MC)) for Northamptonshire. Her Majesty's Court Service Area Director for Northamptonshire has recently considered making a bid for a DJ (MC) post this year but decided not to make an application this year.

Electoral Administration System

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which provisions of the Electoral Administration Bill will apply to Northern Ireland.

Harriet Harman: My Department introduced the Electoral Administration Bill on 11 October which will apply to Northern Ireland except clauses 9, 10, 11, 61 and 64 and related paragraphs in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2.

Electoral Administration System

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of the submissions received by her Department as part of its consultation on the Electoral Administration Bill.

Harriet Harman: We received over 160 responses, within the deadline, to the policy paper on electoral administration which was put out on 25 May this year.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement issued on 11 October 2005, Official Report, column 17WS.

Electoral Administration System

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the numbers of unregistered voters for (a) the UK as a whole and (b) each region of the UK.

Harriet Harman: The Electoral Commission published its report Understanding Electoral Registration in September this year. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of registration rates and a detailed analysis of the reasons for non-registration.
	The report shows that on 15 October 2000—the date the report's analysis is based—the level of non-registration among the eligible population in England and Wales was between 8 per cent. and 9 per cent.
	This equates to around 3.5 million people.
	The report is available on the Electoral Commission's website at:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Electoral Administration System

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps the Government are taking to improve the administration of elections, with particular reference to (a) ensuring access to voting for all, (b) securing the highest possible turnout and (c) reducing fraud.

Harriet Harman: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement dated 11 October 2005, Official Report, column 17WS which sets out the measures we are taking to improve access to elections and reduce fraud. Improving turnout at elections is a complex issue, and something which we cannot address by legislation alone. However, some of the measures in the Bill—particularly giving returning officers the power to promote elections and providing funding for them to do so, and also enabling people to register after an election has been called—will assist further work in this area.

Electoral Administration System

Ian Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will take steps to make the marked electoral register available in electronic format.

Harriet Harman: The Electoral Administration Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on Tuesday 11 October 2005, gives the Secretary of State the power to make regulations concerning the supply of certain electoral documents produced at UK elections, including copies of the marked register of electors. This regulatory power includes a provision to prescribe the form in which election documents are supplied.

Expert Witnesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what checks medical experts are subjected to prior to giving evidence at trial.

Harriet Harman: It is for the trial judge to determine if the witness being called to give expert evidence, including medical evidence, has acquired by study or experience sufficient knowledge of the subject to render his opinion of value in resolving the issues before the court.

Expert Witnesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether trial judges are required to establish the credentials of expert witnesses.

Harriet Harman: It is for the trial judge in each case to determine if a witness is competent to give evidence as an expert.

Freedom of Information

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations she has received from public bodies on their entitlement to withhold information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: My Department has not received any formal representations from public bodies on their entitlement to withhold information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	However, my Department, through the Clearing House, provides advice and assistance to Whitehall Departments on those requests for information that are particularly difficult or have implications across Government. Its advice is designed to ensure that a consistent and appropriate approach is taken to the application of the legislation. Since the Freedom of Information Act came into force on 1 January, nearly 3,000 cases have been referred to the Clearing House.
	In addition, guidance is published on my Department's website for use by public bodies on (a) compliance with statutory requirements of the Act and (b) the appropriate application of exemptions to the Act. This information is freely available to all public bodies.

Judiciary (Disabled Judges)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many judges have a physical disability; and what steps the Department takes (a) to monitor disability among the judiciary and (b) to make a judicial career more accessible to those with a disability.

Harriet Harman: Full data on the incidence and type of disability in the serving judiciary are not currently available. We are currently considering how to improve the disability information we hold.
	We are working with organisations and individuals with an expertise or interest in disability equality, such as the Disability Rights Commission, to explore what more needs to be done to support disabled judges and candidates for appointment.
	The Lord Chancellor will make a statement on judicial diversity in early November, in which he will outline the work to be taken forward on disability.

Magistrates Courts

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was levied in fines by each magistrates court in Greater London in each of the last five years; how much was written off by each court; and what percentage of fines was collected by each court.

Harriet Harman: Information on fines imposed and collected is provided by the 42 HMCS areas in England and Wales. The following table shows the total amounts imposed, total amounts written off and the payment rate in London for the last five financial years. Information broken down by individual magistrates courts is not centrally available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		Enforcement of penalties London (GLMCA pre-April 2005)
		
			 Financial year Amount, imposed total (£) New amount owed total (£) Total amount/written off (£) Payment rate(1) 
		
		
			 April 2001-March 2002 (2) 60,828,532 77,640,695 13.916,583 46 
			 April 2002-March 2003 (2) 64,793,641 111,347,014 13,688,849 40 
			 April 2003-March 2004 51,000,859 59,713,621 15,324,667 66 
			 April 2004-March 2005 39,674,566 60,260,556 1,038,403 68 
			 April 2005-August 2005 17,988,694 24,676,677 257,540 60 
		
	
	(1) The primary performance indicator is the payment rate. It is defined as the amount paid into court as a percentage of the new net amount owed.
	Payment rate = Amount paid divided by new net amount owed
	Methods of calculating the new net amounts owed have changed over the last five years and are detailed below:
	September 1999 to March 2003—new net amount owed includes legally cancelled amounts, civil moneys and confiscation orders
	April 2003 to December 2003—new net amount owed excludes legally cancelled amounts. civil moneys and confiscation orders
	January 2004 to July 2004—new net amount owed excludes legally cancelled amounts. administratively cancelled amounts, civil moneys and confiscation orders
	July 2004 onwards—new net amount owed excludes legally cancelled amounts,
	administratively cancelled amounts, civil, moneys and confiscation orders, but includes amounts written back
	(2) From April 2003 onwards, confiscation and civil amounts have not been included in any of the enforcement calculations. It is not possible to separate those elements out from the figures before that date.
	Note:
	As a result of these revisions, direct year-on-year comparisons cannot be made.

Magistrates Courts

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much has been spent over the last five years on (a) maintaining and (b) refurbishing (i) Barry, (ii) Neath, (iii) Port Talbot and (iv) Aberdare magistrates courts.

Harriet Harman: Expenditure incurred on refurbishment was not separately recorded from other types of maintenance. The following table provides the aggregated sums recorded by the local authority, over the last five financial years, of spend on maintenance and capital maintenance projects. It is likely that the spend on capital maintenance was mainly in respect of refurbishment works.
	
		£
		
			 Magistrates court Maintenance Capital maintenance 
		
		
			 Barry 355,281.70 251,460.90 
			 Neath 232,189.47 103,641.85 
			 Port Talbot 295,231.00 231,224.59 
			 Aberdare 563,191.00 110,579.59

Marcus Downie

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what are the reasons for the length of time it took to conclude the inquest into the death of Marcus Downie; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The Essex and Thurrock coroner has explained the reasons for delay in holding this inquest. Following the death by hanging of Marcus Downie on 11 May 2002 in HMP Chelmsford there was a police investigation and an internal Prison Service inquiry. At the pre-inquest hearing in May 2003 the family's representatives made several requests for further information, including expert psychiatric evidence. A date in September 2003 was provisionally booked for the inquest, but the coroner decided to await the House of Lords judgments in two relevant cases, Middleton and Sacker which were delivered in March 2004. Staff shortages in the coroner's office prevented progress during the summer and autumn of 2004 but a further pre-inquest hearing was held on in January 2005 and, after difficulties in finding a suitable courtroom for a lengthy jury inquest, it was held between 3 and 12 October 2005.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many air miles were accrued through departmental ministerial travel in 2004–05, broken down by Minister; how many were (a) foregone and (b) donated to charity, broken down by charity; and whether air miles accrued by officials were required to be (i) foregone and (ii) given to charity.

Bridget Prentice: Figures for air miles accrued by Ministers are not held by this Department. All ministerial travel is conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers" and guidance for Ministers on the use of air miles is set out in the Ministerial Code". This guidance makes clear that air miles should be used only for official purposes or else foregone. However, if it is impracticable to use the benefits for Government travel, it is possible for Ministers to donate them to charity if permitted under the terms of the airline's scheme. Similar rules are in place for officials.

Persistent and Prolific Offenders

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidelines she has issued on how criminal cases involving persistent and prolific offenders should be treated by the courts.

Harriet Harman: Guidance to the courts on handling prolific and other priority offender cases was issued by the senior presiding judge in April 2005.
	The PPO Strategy requires courts to provide a Premium Service" so that relevant cases are listed expeditiously, trial readiness is checked regularly, ineffective trials are always monitored, enforcement warrants are given priority and orders are flagged up to the Prison, Probation and Youth Offending Services, as appropriate.

Postal Voting

Mike Wood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will make it a requirement for returning officers to make available a marked register indicating postal voters.

Harriet Harman: The Electoral Administration Bill, introduced in the House of Commons on 11 October 2005, makes provision for the creation of a marked list of returned postal votes at future UK elections.

Prison Deaths

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the inquests that have been completed in the past five years following a death in prison; what the date of the (a) death and (b) inquest was in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The information can be found in a table, copies of which I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Voter Turnout

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to increase turnout in the next general election.

Harriet Harman: Tackling low turnout at elections is a complex issue and one we cannot deal with through legislation alone. However, some of the measures in the Electoral Administration Bill—particularly giving Returning Officers the power to promote elections and providing funding for them to do so, and also enabling people to register after an election has been called—should help to improve turnout at elections.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Architects Registration Board

John Gummer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Architects Registration Board concerning its disciplinary procedures.

Yvette Cooper: There have been no discussions as the Architects Act 1997 gives the Government no powers to intervene in disciplinary matters.

Architects Registration Board

John Gummer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether (a) he and (b) his officials have discussed with the Architects Registration Board rules of propriety in choosing members employed in quasi-judicial inquiries.

Yvette Cooper: There have been no discussions as the Government has no powers to intervene. Provisions for the membership of the Professional Conduct Committee are prescribed by the Architects Act 1997 as amended by The Architects (Professional Conduct Committee) Amendment Order 2004 (SI 2004 No. 655).

Architects Registration Board

John Gummer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to review the operation of the Architects Registration Board.

Yvette Cooper: The Government has no current plans for a review.

Departmental Vehicles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many vehicles for which the Department is responsible are fitted with retreaded tyres.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Seven vehicles for which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible are fitted with retreaded tyres. All seven are specialist vehicles at the Fire Service College, that do not travel at speeds in excess of 20mph.
	For information on the use of retread tyres in vehicles provided to the Department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency I refer the hon. Member to the letter of 11 October 2005 which he received from the Chief Executive of the GCDA, reference UIN15087 and UIN15088. Copies of this letter are available in the Library of the House.
	This answer does not include vehicles operated by the Government Offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Highbury

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning the planning application for the re-development of Highbury Stadium into Highbury Square; and whether he has made (a) decision and (b) statement on the application.

Yvette Cooper: Planning permission was granted by Islington Council on 30 September 2005 for the redevelopment of Highbury Stadium for a predominately residential scheme. The planning application was not referred to my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister the First Secretary of State and he received no representations or requests to intervene.

Homelessness

Adam Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were found to be unintentionally homeless but not in a priority need category in Gravesham in 2005.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households, rather than persons. The number of households reported by Gravesham after completion of enquiries to be eligible, unintentionally homeless but not in a priority need category between 1 January and 30 June 2005, was 99.

Housing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what house building programmes have been commissioned in Kent since 1997, broken down by borough council.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of houses that have been built in Kent since 1997 are tabled as follows:
	
		
			 Borough/district 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Ashford 467 707 725 941 753 726 910 
			 Canterbury 489 610 540 615 501 305 338 
			 Dartford 556 368 182 86 322 646 726 
			 Dover 204 276 212 23 459 177 284 
			 Gravesham 95 103 81 61 137 137 204 
			 Maidstone 444 262 755 416 722 444 372 
			 Medway 702 698 719 678 603 676 733 
			 Sevenoaks 439 -14 285 183 199 143 73 
			 Shepway 281 486 513 354 410 400 369 
			 Swale 321 705 576 654 659 668 570 
			 Thanet 366 268 286 297 367 334 252 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 417 414 346 273 337 589 475 
			 Tunbridge Wells 317 308 274 247 222 376 240 
			 Total 5,098 5,191 5,444 4,828 5,691 5,621 5,546 
		
	
	Source:
	Kent county council/South East of England Regional Assembly

Housing

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) of 14 October 2005, Official Report, column 612W, on housing, if he will break down the figures by London borough.

Yvette Cooper: Estimates for densities of new residential dwellings for London boroughs are from Land Use Change Statistics and are shown as follows. The densities are very variable from one year to the next as they can be affected by a small number of developments in each borough.
	
		Density of new residential dwellings built: London boroughs, 1985–2004 -- Dwellings per hectare
		
			 London borough 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 
		
		
			 City of London — — — — 50 667 — — — — 
			 Barking and Dagenham 167 — — 65 63 36 53 67 86 42 
			 Barnet 20 — — 44 37 35 41 45 49 46 
			 Bexley 11 — — 45 37 32 37 38 33 42 
			 Brent 33 — — 77 59 82 66 62 88 43 
			 Bromley 14 17 20 31 31 22 23 30 28 26 
			 Camden — — — 68 65 50 21 84 104 88 
			 Croydon 16 19 28 40 27 32 37 29 31 44 
			 Ealing 17 — 33 72 12 49 64 58 54 88 
			 Enfield 9 — 59 60 81 56 52 45 64 36 
			 Greenwich 32 62 58 47 48 45 64 50 48 55 
			 Hackney — 67 74 58 62 43 36 57 64 93 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham — — — 75 140 70 38 38 19 43 
			 Haringey 13 — 60 41 59 43 59 52 63 55 
			 Harrow 22 — 47 30 39 48 35 48 40 31 
			 Havering 20 33 9 35 36 30 21 37 37 36 
			 Hillingdon 11 15 76 52 43 24 25 22 22 31 
			 Hounslow 19 28 300 37 48 52 41 52 40 39 
			 Islington 400 — — 60 43 76 45 44 61 104 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 200 — — 71 100 98 41 51 85 68 
			 Kingston upon Thames 16 — 43 42 50 41 41 37 36 37 
			 Lambeth 33 33 35 87 75 48 43 69 48 103 
			 Lewisham 20 87 78 55 52 65 64 59 64 45 
			 Merton 22 8 64 51 88 48 49 37 39 43 
			 Newham — 67 40 54 50 51 53 56 44 48 
			 Redbridge 32 — 48 64 59 33 48 40 43 44 
			 Richmond upon Thames 29 15 52 42 38 32 41 39 57 56 
			 Southwark 40 — 37 136 63 79 78 77 84 67 
			 Sutton 33 36 46 59 41 40 46 45 51 50 
			 Tower Hamlets — 57 113 76 59 95 105 63 89 68 
			 Waltham Forest 44 50 40 59 49 55 57 61 57 48 
			 Wandsworth 77 — 28 75 60 69 59 80 54 50 
			 Westminster 133 — 60 99 142 134 54 75 104 131 
		
	
	
		
			 London borough 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 City of London — 5 80 230 165 266 960 — — — 
			 Barking and Dagenham 58 43 47 44 39 42 41 54 104 190 
			 Barnet 37 50 47 24 29 68 40 58 66 41 
			 Bexley 56 36 23 38 33 29 35 28 38 10 
			 Brent 47 90 45 44 41 39 56 72 74 82 
			 Bromley 24 31 28 25 27 47 25 21 40 46 
			 Camden 60 76 54 88 107 112 43 102 130 — 
			 Croydon 30 31 33 26 26 31 48 51 46 31 
			 Ealing 46 63 71 56 56 71 63 47 77 72 
			 Enfield 35 47 59 48 47 41 34 67 90 77 
			 Greenwich 48 48 41 37 41 70 33 42 53 83 
			 Hackney 56 50 77 70 73 90 81 108 106 204 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 91 84 62 85 72 83 55 68 52 — 
			 Haringey 52 44 64 58 85 80 49 70 107 76 
			 Harrow 24 18 36 23 49 41 27 36 84 103 
			 Havering 36 34 27 44 39 31 44 42 31 56 
			 Hillingdon 30 33 38 35 35 41 34 66 55 47 
			 Hounslow 45 66 46 69 54 66 47 57 121 88 
			 Islington 43 114 78 119 130 105 70 98 86 158 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 56 84 95 91 107 119 25 142 80 — 
			 Kingston upon Thames 26 46 37 53 33 46 35 54 92 59 
			 Lambeth 66 67 73 76 72 89 74 90 127 80 
			 Lewisham 50 85 61 73 83 31 55 83 57 122 
			 Merton 51 56 51 43 46 45 77 49 109 58 
			 Newham 49 56 45 60 60 57 79 81 97 257 
			 Redbridge 56 40 40 43 34 26 34 34 110 100 
			 Richmond upon Thames 61 32 32 64 48 45 48 62 56 59 
			 Southwark 66 74 60 66 112 87 105 61 116 109 
			 Sutton 51 38 33 32 35 38 36 55 49 47 
			 Tower Hamlets 94 80 95 82 130 140 80 105 189 280 
			 Waltham Forest 47 52 46 51 37 38 27 57 36 120 
			 Wandsworth 52 55 42 71 66 72 58 43 158 154 
			 Westminster 97 138 71 119 182 42 169 113 149 110

Housing

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people are on the housing register in each London borough.

Yvette Cooper: The requested data based on the latest available year are tabled.
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Local authorities sometimes maintain a common waiting list with the Housing Association/s in their district. However, information is not held centrally where a Housing Association maintains a separate waiting list to the local authority.
	
		Number of households on the housing register as at 1 April 2005
		
			 Local authority Number of households 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,321 
			 Barnet 13,627 
			 Bexley 4,528 
			 Brent 17,351 
			 Bromley 2,998 
			 Camden 16,532 
			 City of London 1,204 
			 Croydon 8,856 
			 Ealing 14,324 
			 Enfield 7,872 
			 Greenwich 7,666 
			 Hackney 7,744 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8,384 
			 Haringey 19,930 
			 Harrow 4,944 
			 Havering 3,477 
			 Hillingdon 7,471 
			 Hounslow 10,382 
			 Islington 6,326 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 9,436 
			 Kingston upon Thames 4,903 
			 Lambeth 10,648 
			 Lewisham 18,279 
			 Merton 5,188 
			 Newham 25,317 
			 Redbridge 7,941 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,898 
			 Southwark 7,548 
			 Sutton 3,724 
			 Tower Hamlets 21,183 
			 Waltham Forest 8,837 
			 Wandsworth 8,668 
			 Westminster 6,565 
			 London 309,072 
		
	
	Source:
	ODPM's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA)

Housing

Adam Holloway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people are in council housing in Kent, broken down by borough council.

Yvette Cooper: Data on the number of people in council housing in Kent are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has information on the number of dwellings owned by each district authority in Kent. This data as at 1 April 2005 are given in the following table:
	
		Local authority stock in Kent, by district, at 1 April 2005
		
			  
		
		
			 Ashford 5,416 
			 Canterbury 5,320 
			 Dartford 4,437 
			 Dover 4,753 
			 Gravesham 6,132 
			 Maidstone 0 
			 Sevenoaks 0 
			 Shepway 3,520 
			 Swale 16 
			 Thanet 3,180 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 0 
			 Tunbridge Wells 33 
			 Kent 32,807 
		
	
	Note:
	Large-Scale Voluntary Transfer (LSVT) authorities could retain small amount of stock (normally below 100).
	Source:
	ODPM Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return.

Housing

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the council allocations were for housing transfers into (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five bedroom properties in each London borough in the last year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: Information on the number of local authority lettings which involve transfers is not available by number of bedrooms centrally. However, the following information on lettings which relates to transfers is collected:
	The number of dwellings let through mobility arrangements;
	The number of dwellings let through mutual exchanges;
	The number of dwellings let to existing tenants transferring within authority's own stock.
	Of the third of these, the number of tenants transferring to a dwelling with fewer bedrooms is also collected.
	All this information by London borough for 2004–05 is provided in the table as follows.
	
		Number of lettings to local authority dwellings related to transfers in the London boroughs, 2004–05
		
			Dwellings let to existing tenants within own stock 
			 Local authority Dwellings let through mobility arrangements Dwellings let through mutual exchanges Total of which: Number to fewer bedrooms 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 23 127 667 79 
			 Barnet 0 88 168 40 
			 Bexley 0 0 0 0 
			 Brent 44 16 134 32 
			 Bromley 0 0 0 0 
			 Camden 31 94 453 46 
			 City of London 1 5 32 0 
			 Croydon 10 159 201 51 
			 Ealing 1 15 174 66 
			 Enfield 8 150 193 13 
			 Greenwich 10 106 516 110 
			 Hackney 3 41 201 21 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 11 74 252 31 
			 Haringey 23 66 117 45 
			 Harrow 5 21 49 15 
			 Havering 24 56 328 107 
			 Hillingdon 2 101 125 21 
			 Hounslow 12 133 229 47 
			 Islington 3 101 353 89 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 15 91 25 
			 Kingston upon Thames 15 46 60 18 
			 Lambeth 9 36 360 61 
			 Lewisham 0 148 363 272 
			 Merton 0 51 77 21 
			 Newham 70 88 213 25 
			 Redbridge 0 30 85 32 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 0 
			 Southwark 18 128 631 103 
			 Sutton 0 98 105 22 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 84 312 96 
			 Waltham Forest 48 101 94 10 
			 Wandsworth 4 92 258 46 
			 Westminster 1 29 175 20 
			 London 376 2,299 7,016 1,564 
		
	
	Note:
	A zero figure indicates the authority is a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer authority. All their stock has been transferred to the Registered Social Landlords.
	Source:
	ODPM's Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix Returns

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what requirement there is for tenant involvement in registered social landlords after transfer of council housing in large scale voluntary transfers; and how performance is audited after transfers have taken place.

Yvette Cooper: It is normally most appropriate for a transfer RSL's governing board to comprise one-third tenants, no more than one-third local authority nominees, and at least one-third independent members.
	All RSLs have a duty to publish a statement of how they will involve their residents in improving the association's services and how this involvement will influence outcomes. Each year, associations must review the effectiveness of the statement and prepare an impact assessment.
	The Housing Corporation monitors compliance with all regulatory requirements, which are taken into account when preparing Housing Corporation Assessments of association performance.
	The corporation also works closely with the Audit Commission in relation to their inspection of housing associations, which includes consideration of tenant involvement.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the levels of tenant satisfaction (a) before and after large-scale voluntary transfer, (b) before and after the establishment of arm's length management organisations, (c) of tenants in privatised council housing and (d) of tenants remaining in council controlled housing.

Yvette Cooper: Data from the Survey of English Housing (SEH) for 2004–05 show that 74 per cent. of tenants of registered social landlords (RSLs) are satisfied with the housing services provided by their landlord, and 67 per cent. of local authority tenants are satisfied. Housemark data for 2004–05 show that 75 of tenants of arm's length management organisations (ALMOs) are satisfied.
	The SEH 2004–05 also asked RSL tenants whose homes had been transferred from local authority ownership since 2000 how the service provided by the RSL compared to that from the local authority. 27 per cent. of tenants reported that the service from the RSL was better than the local authority, 62 per cent. said it was the same and 11 per cent. said it was worse. No comparable question was asked for ALMOs.

Housing Associations

Andrew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the value for grant assessments of each housing association produced by the comparator developed by the National Audit Office and the Housing Corporation.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing Corporation does not yet have all the information necessary to produce the Value for Grant Comparator" fully. It is currently populating the comparator with the limited data it has available and testing it. The corporation expects the comparator to become fully operational from 2006.

Incapacity Benefit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment the Government has made of the (a) regional variations in take-up of incapacity benefit and the (b) implications for regional economic development; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Within the English regions, there are large regional variations in the take up of incapacity benefit (IB) with 11.2 per cent. of the working age population claiming IB in the North East compared to 4.6 per cent. in the South East. The three northern regions (North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside) account for over 860,000 claimants, almost 40 per cent. of the English total, yet their working age population account for just 28 per cent. of the English total. Wales and Scotland also have high proportions of their working age population on incapacity benefit.
	High rates of inactivity will undoubtedly affect the economic performance of a region. The Government and its partners in the regions are committed to improving the economic performance of each region, which is why the ODPM, HMT and DTI have a joint Public Service Agreement (PSA) to:
	Make sustainable improvements in the economic performance of all the English regions by 2008 and over the long term reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between the regions, demonstrating progress by 2006"
	The Government is similarly also committed to increasing economic development and employment opportunities in Scotland and Wales and more generally works in partnership with the devolved administrations to promote prosperity in all parts of the UK.
	Employment is seen as a key driver in this target and supporting incapacity benefit claimants into work is essential in reducing the employment disparities between the regions. DWP's Pathways to Work will play a crucial role in achieving this target across the whole of Great Britain and will also assist the Northern Way's target to get 100,000 people off IB by 2014. By October 2006, 11 of the 15 English Pathways will be operational in the three northern regions. In addition to this, the Northern Way will run complementary IB pilots and the first of these is due to start on 7 November 2005 in the district of Easington, which has one of the highest rates of IB claimants at 19.7 per cent. (in 2004). By October 2006 the number of Pathways to Work pilots will increase to four in Wales and three in Scotland.

Local Authority Pensions

Frank Field: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) of 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 878W, on local authority pensions, what the change in an average council tax bill he expects as a result of the contribution that local authorities are making to local government pension scheme funds.

Phil Woolas: Decisions on the contribution local authorities make to their pensions scheme is a matter for individual authorities, as are decisions on the level of council tax.

National Society for Epilepsy

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to announce the decision on the planning inquiry into the National Society for Epilepsy's appeal against the rejection of their planning applications to develop its site at Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire.

Yvette Cooper: The main parties to the appeal were informed on 17 August 2005 that the First Secretary of State, my right Hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, expects to issue his decision on or before 23 November 2005.

Thames Gateway

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of Thames Gateway Communities Plan development will be on land designated as (a) brownfield, (b) greenfield, (c) flood plains (brownfield) and (d) flood plains (greenfield).

Yvette Cooper: The precise location of future development in the Thames Gateway during the course of the regeneration programme will be dependent on a number of factors: the land allocated in local development frameworks, the sites attracting planning applications, the success of those applications and their ability to satisfy national planning policy intentions. Exact proportions cannot be predetermined.
	However in the Thames Gateway, as elsewhere, all new developments must have regard to national planning policies, including the national target set in Planning Policy Guidance note 3: Housing (PPG3) for 60 per cent. of additional housing, including conversions, to be built on previously developed land.
	In the Gateway that percentage can be exceeded because there is a significant reservoir of brownfield land. The area comprises only 2 per cent. of the south east of England, but contains 17 per cent. of its brownfield land.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's target is to deliver 80 per cent. of new development in the Thames Gateway on brownfield land, which we are presently exceeding.
	As to the proportions of development on flood plains, flood risk assessments indicating whether it would be appropriate to develop on a site are determining factors in the eventual location of development. All development will be in line with Planning Policy Guidance note: Development and Flood Risk (PPG25), which applies a sequential risk-based approach to prevent inappropriate development in flood risk areas. To support the effective application of planning policy, the Office of the Deputy Minister is funding Strategic Flood Risk Assessments across the Thames Gateway to assess flood risk and inform planning decisions. PPG25 advises that applications for development in flood risk areas should be accompanied by a flood risk assessment appropriate to the location, scale and nature of the development which identifies the risks of flooding to and from the development, measures to be taken to reduce those risks and how any residual risk will be managed.

Travellers

Peter Viggers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to introduce changes to the law relating to unauthorised Traveller encampments.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have established a new Gypsy and Traveller Unit and one of its aims is to help local authorities improve the use of enforcement powers, including powers to tackle antisocial behaviour. The unit will also be looking at the operation of these powers to see if further action is needed.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United States personnel have been committed to NATO's International Security Assistance Force role in Afghanistan by the US Secretary of Defence from May 2006 onwards; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: Details on future US deployments to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan are a matter for the US Government. Details of future deployments by those nations contributing to ISAF will become clearer as plans for ISAF expansion develop.

Aircraft Carriers

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the operational status of the United Kingdom's aircraft carriers.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 October 2005
	The operational status of the UK's three aircraft carriers is configured so that at least one is always available for tasking by CINCFLEET.
	HMS Illustrious is the aircraft carrier currently available for tasking.

Civilian Staff

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in the negotiations with the trade union side about an enhanced redundancy package for civilian staff employed by the Department in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 21 October 2005
	The Trade Unions (TGWU) wrote to me on 27 May 2005 outlining proposals for an enhanced redundancy package for civilian staff. I replied on 11 July 2005 stating that officials were currently examining the proposals. This work is still under way and no further negotiations with the Trade Unions have so far taken place.

Members' Visits

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many hon. Members have visited the tunnels controlled by his Department in Gibraltar in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many (a) politicians, (b) military personnel and (c) others from overseas have visited the tunnels controlled by his Department in Gibraltar in each of the last five years;
	(3)  in what circumstances hon. Members may be refused access to the tunnels controlled by his Department in Gibraltar;
	(4)  what the correct procedure is for hon. Members to apply for permission to visit (a) departmental sites and (b) the tunnels controlled by his Department in Gibraltar.

Don Touhig: Applications from hon. Members for permission to visit departmental sites, including the tunnels, controlled by the MOD in Gibraltar should be submitted to me. Such applications in relation to the tunnels may be refused if there is any on-going structural or maintenance works in progress, or military training exercises taking place; applications must also take account of the availability of a tunnel guide. Records of tunnel visits are only available from January 2004 until the present date, details of which are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Members of Parliament or other UK politicians 0 
			 UK military personnel 425 
			 Overseas personnel 48

Submarines

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to (a) replace and (b) extend the life of the Vanguard class submarine; and if he will make a statement.

John Reid: I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Members for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1217W and for New Forest East (Dr. Lewis) on 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 466W.

UK Military Advice/Training

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the training schemes available to members of overseas armed forces (a) at Ministry of Defence establishments in the UK and (b) provided by members of the UK armed forces overseas.

Don Touhig: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 22 June 2005, Official Report, columns 1062–64W.

UK Military Advice/Training

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  to which countries the UK has sent advisory military and training teams in each year since 1997;
	(2)  in which countries the UK has stationed military personnel for training purposes in each year since 1997; and how many such personnel were involved in each case.

Adam Ingram: For a comprehensive list of countries where we have provided in-country training since 1997 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 March 2003, Official Report, column 888W to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing). It lists countries in which a range of training activities (vice formally established teams) has taken place since 1997, without stating a breakdown of manpower.
	The requested breakdown of information regarding the breadth of where we have stationed military personnel for training purposes, broken down by each year since 1997, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following list is a summary of established in-country training teams (as opposed to the more general range of training activities previously provided) and their existing manning levels:
	
		
			 Country Effective dates Strength 
		
		
			 Antigua From 1999 6 
			 Bahrain Closed August 2005 — 
			 Barbados To 1999 — 
			 Bermuda — 2 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina From 2004 3 
			 Brunei — 39 
			 Czech Republic From 2003 26 
			 Estonia From 2003 1 
			 Ghana — 9 
			 Kenya From 2000 12 
			 Kuwait — 50 
			 Oman — 88 
			 Saudi Arabia — 15 
			 Sierra Leone — 90 
			 Singapore — 2 
			 Slovakia From 2003 10 
			 South Africa — 9 
			 United Arab Emirates — 5 
			 Zimbabwe Closed 2000 — 
		
	
	Note:
	Where no effective date is shown, UK had a training/advisory presence prior to 1997.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to channel aid directly to the people in Africa through non-governmental organisations.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development (DFID) endeavours to ensure that all our aid benefits poor people, whether provided through national governments, multilateral organisations or non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
	Whenever possible, DFID provides aid to African countries through their own systems in support of their own plans. This ensures country ownership of development efforts and helps build capacity in countries to continue delivering services in the long-term. This includes means providing aid to the state in the form of Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) or support to specific sector, such as education and health.
	DFID also recognises the important role that non-governmental organisations play in tackling poverty. For example, during 2004–05, DFID provided £328 million to UK civil society organisations working in developing countries throughout the world. And more than £70 million of humanitarian assistance to Africa in 2004–05 was channelled through non-governmental organisations.
	DFID plans to continue channelling aid through non-governmental organisations in a number of ways. The Civil Society Challenge Fund is DFID's main channel of support for UK-based non-government organisations. We also provide reliable funding to non-governmental organisations on the basis of agreed outcomes through Partnership Programme Agreements and our bilateral programme in Africa will continue to work with non-governmental organisations to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to poor people.

Darfur

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to improve the humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan.

Hilary Benn: The humanitarian needs in Darfur are huge and major challenges remain. 1.8 million people have been displaced from their homes and 3.4 million people are relying on humanitarian assistance. The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian effort. We have provided £92 million in humanitarian assistance to Darfur since September 2003 and are the second biggest bilateral donor after the US. The UK is also leading in work with other donors to improve the co-ordination of humanitarian donor funding to Sudan.
	However, humanitarian assistance is not the solution for Darfur; only a political agreement will result in lasting improvements in the humanitarian situation in Darfur and allow people to return to their homes. To this end we fully support the African Union (AU) mediated peace talks in Abuja, at which a UK observer is present.
	Security is also a concern and the recent deterioration in the security situation, particularly in West Darfur, could have significant impact on humanitarian relief operations. Contingency planning for disruption is underway by the humanitarian agencies and we stand ready to provide additional support if required. The UN is confident however that it can meet immediate humanitarian needs with existing resources.
	The AU Mission also has a vital role to play in improving security, and is having a positive impact where it is deployed. The UK is fully supporting the ongoing expansion of the AU's force in Darfur to almost 8,000. We have allocated an additional £19 million to help the AU achieve this, bringing the total UK contribution to the mission to almost £32 million.

Debt Relief

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he expects negotiations to be completed to finalise the details of the International Development Association and African Development Fund aspects of the G8 debt proposal.

Hilary Benn: The G8's proposals for 100 per cent. International Development Association (IDA), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and African Development Fund (AfDF) debt stock cancellation for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) were discussed at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF. The IDA and IMF components were subsequently agreed by the Development and International Monetary and Financial Committees at those meetings. The approval process for African Development Fund (AfDF) component is being taken forward separately at African Development Bank.
	Negotiations are under way to resolve some outstanding technical details on the proposals, as well as on the implementation of financing assurances from donors. We expect agreement on these issues over the coming weeks, and that detailed implementation plans will be discussed by the Boards of Directors at each institution in November. We remain confident that implementation of the debt relief will begin in 2006.

Debt Relief

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what governance measures the Heavily Indebted Poor Completion Point countries will need to meet in order to be eligible to benefit from the G8 debt proposal; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Countries will qualify for debt stock cancellation under the proposals by completing the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC). By definition, Completion Point HIPCs have demonstrated a sustained commitment to poverty reduction and sound macroeconomic management that provides confidence that the savings from debt relief will be used for poverty reduction. Good governance is part of this, with standards drawn from national strategies. Once countries have qualified for debt stock cancellation, they will get 100 per cent. irrevocable relief. There will be no ongoing conditionally.
	Countries that have already completed the HIPC Initiative must demonstrate that they have maintained their commitment to poverty reduction and good macro-economic management in order to qualify for relief. They must therefore have remained current with their repayment obligations to the International Financial Institutions, and not have experienced serious lapses, including in governance, such that their International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes would be at risk.
	In addition, extra donor resources will be provided to the World Bank and African Development Bank to compensate for the costs of the debt stock cancellation. These resources will be allocated to all poor countries through the Institutions' existing Performance Based Allocation System, thereby providing a strong incentive for good policy (including governance) and performance. The World Bank and IMF staff will also continue to monitor and report on the overall efficiency of public expenditure as well as on progress in reducing corruption and enhancing transparency in recipient countries.

Developing World

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to tackle (a) famine and (b) disease epidemics in the developing world.

Gareth Thomas: In responding to famine, the Department for International Development (DFID) provides funding to the World Food Programme (£78 million in 2004, including approx £15 million through the European Community), Governments and non-governmental organisations. However, DFID also attaches considerable importance to disaster prevention. In the area of food security this includes supporting reforms in agricultural methods and promoting livelihoods that are less susceptible to the effects of famine, by working with partner governments, local communities and multilateral agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. DFID is also supporting the creation of social safety nets such as income support and social insurance, bans and grants. These aim to limit the numbers of people who require emergency food aid.
	DFID's approach to tackling disease epidemics in the developed world is to balance prevention with reducing the impact of epidemics when they do occur. Where vaccines exist they are a very cost effective way of preventing disease. We therefore fund the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisations and Polio Eradication Initiative and also support the research and development of new vaccines and other preventive therapy for infectious diseases.
	Our support to multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are designed to both prevent epidemics happening and reduce the impact once they have occurred.
	Our bilateral programmes in the health sector are designed to strengthen health systems both to prevent and mitigate the impact of epidemics. Getting well organised communicable disease control systems in place is crucial for effectively tackling diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia and vaccine preventable disease epidemics as well as those associated with HIV, TB and Malaria.

Malawi/Niger

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to ascertain the need for humanitarian assistance in (a) Malawi and (b) Niger.

Hilary Benn: Malawi has an early warning system, the Malawi Vulnerability System Committee (MVAC). DFID finances the secretariat. The MVAC made its first assessment of the need for humanitarian assistance as soon as harvest and other data were available and reported in May. By June, food aid was being delivered. 1.8 million people have received food aid to date; it is planned to feed 2.8 million by December. The MVAC is updating its assessment and will provide a preliminary revision next week, with a full reassessment by early November. DFID's commitment to humanitarian assistance for this year's food shortages in Malawi totals £15.32 million. The UK stands ready to do more if more people need to be fed.
	In Niger, a major humanitarian relief operation has been under way over the past three months in response to a food crisis affecting an estimated three million people, with the lives of up to 150,000 children at risk. The humanitarian operation is now working at full capacity and has helped to avert a major catastrophe. The UK has played an important part, being one of the first donors to respond when the United Nations and NGO relief agencies alerted the world to the severity of the crisis. To date, around 2.8 million people have received food aid and more than 90,000 children have received life-saving nutritional therapy. Food is also under harvest, and thanks to good rains, a bumper crop is expected. Nonetheless, the relief effort will continue in the months ahead, with priority being given to the needs of malnourished children and to those who will not benefit fully or adequately from the new harvest. Much work also remains to help those who have suffered during the crisis to recover, and in the longer term to put in place welfare safety nets and other measures to help the most impoverished people of Niger avoid further crises of this kind. DFID sent a humanitarian adviser to Niger last June, to neighbouring countries in August, and to Niger again this month. On the basis of his report, we shall be reviewing needs, and options to provide humanitarian assistance to the recovery process.

Malawi/Niger

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has provided to Niger in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not had a bilateral development assistance programme with Niger during the past five years, but does provide significant support through multilateral channels such as the United Nations agencies and the EC development programme, of which the estimated UK share amounted to £6.2 million in 2002. We have also provided debt relief, humanitarian assistance and small project support. Details are shown in the following table.
	Having reached completion point under the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in April 2004, Niger is now benefiting from increased debt relief, including £4.513 million (in 2004 net present value) on bilateral debts to the UK through the Paris Club. The UK will also provide US$915,190 (approximately £520,000) to Niger in 2005 as part of our multilateral debt relief initiative (to be superseded from next year by debt stock cancellation as recently agreed at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
	In February, as part of efforts to strengthen Anglo-French cooperation on development issues in Africa, DFID agreed to provide £7 million initially through the French development programme in support of Niger's basic education policy, with particular emphasis on getting more girls into primary education.
	In recent months DFID has made a significant contribution to the food relief operation in Niger. Our total support of £3.25 million is among the top three bilateral contributions, and amongst the quickest. Our funding is contributing to the general feeding of up to 1,700,000 people, nutritional therapy for up to 60,000 malnourished children, emergency health care for up to 1,750,000 vulnerable people, and emergency livestock interventions for up to 21,000 people.
	
		Total UK aid to Niger -- £000
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Financial Aid  
			 HIPC Trust Funds — — 126 61 2,973 
			   
			 TC  
			 Wholly Financed Personnel: Long Term — — — — — 
			 Consultancies — — — — — 
			   
			 Grant and Other Aid in Kind  
			 Heads of Mission Projects and Gifts 15 20 — — 35 
			 JFS Accountable Grants 130 108 58 58 31 
			 Civil Society Challenge Fund 5 — — — 28 
			   
			 Humanitarian Assistance  
			 Food Aid—through UN Channels — — — — — 
			 Disaster Relief—through NGO Channels — — — — — 
			 Disaster Relief—through UN Channels — — — — — 
			   
			 Debt Relief  
			 Naples Terms — — — — 4,400 
			 Toronto Terms 137 109 82 54 33 
			 Trinidad Terms 710 110 100 90 80 
			   
			 Total 997 347 366 263 7,581

Nicaragua

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what assistance he is providing to the people of the Atlantic Coast in Nicaragua;
	(2)  if he will make the disbursement of further UK funds in Nicaragua dependent upon a significant proportion of those funds being spent to help those on the Atlantic coast.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 21 October 2005
	Poverty, both rural and urban, is pervasive in Nicaragua. While the figure for rural poverty in the Atlantic coast is higher than the rural average (77 per cent. compared to 64 per cent.) there are many other regions in the country displaying similar, or worse poverty indicators. Less than 20 per cent. of Nicaragua's poor live in the Atlantic coast. DFID, therefore, makes decisions on the extent and nature of its support on the basis of the Government's commitment to tackle poverty throughout the country rather than in just one part.
	DFID does, however, recognise the particular challenges of the Atlantic coast. We seek to tackle these through a combination of direct support to the area and through high-level dialogue with the Government.
	A significant proportion of DFID's programme directly benefits Nicaragua's Atlantic coast. Our HIV/AIDS programme has provided information and education services for specific vulnerable target groups, and has built capacity among local government and civil society to provide basic care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Part of the £850,000 of support in 2005–06 to help municipal Government initiatives tackle poverty will benefit the autonomous regions on the coast. We have helped to increase visibility of the region's challenges, and its potential contribution to development, by supporting the participation of Afro-descendent youth in debates on marginalisation and the dissemination of the United Nations development programme (UNDP)'s human development report for Nicaragua's Atlantic coast. DFID support to the 2005 census is contributing to the better identification of the poverty on the coast, thereby enabling more effective targeting of resources in the future. DFID has also begun discussions with the Presidential Commission for Competitiveness to explore how the bilateral programme can support market access for small enterprises and rural producers in the region.
	DFID uses its position as a member of the influential group of donors providing budgetary support to challenge the economic and political marginalisation of the region, and seek opportunities to demonstrate its potential contribution to national development. Participation in this group also enables DFID to advocate increased spending on social sectors and employment generation in the national budget. My visit to Nicaragua last year enabled me to press specific issues of the Atlantic coast, such as land rights, when I met with President Bolanos.

Swaziland

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) multilateral and (b) bilateral aid has been given by the United Kingdom to Swaziland to tackle AIDS in each of the last 10 years.

Gareth Thomas: Since 2001 approximately £1.7million of DFID's contribution to the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and Malaria was spent in Swaziland. We also have a current commitment (2005 to 2007) of £4 million to UNICEF and the Joint United Programmes on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) for regional HIV/Aids programmes that will benefit Swaziland. DFID is planning to spend an additional £3 million in Swaziland as part of a multi-country programme that will help to care and protect orphans and vulnerable children.
	DFID has disbursed the following aid to Swaziland on HIV related projects, both bilaterally and regionally:
	
		
			  Bilateral (£) Regional (£)(3) Total (£) 
		
		
			 1996–97 112,516 — 112,516 
			 1997–98 160,070 — 160.070 
			 1998–99 109,598 — 109,598 
			 1999–2000 115,578 — 115,578 
			 2000–01 175,666 370,000 545,666 
			 2001–02 54,184 370,000 424,184 
			 2002–03 43,532 370,000 413,532 
			 2003–04 11,432 370,000 381,432 
			 2004–05 — 570,000 570,000 
		
	
	(3) Estimated amounts disbursed in Swaziland through regional programmes
	Our records indicate that all funding was disbursed through NGO's, the UN system or otherwise through multilateral organisations.

United Nations Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) males and (b) females are employed by the United Nations Population Fund in the counties in China where they operate; and what their core duties are.

Gareth Thomas: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) does not employ staff to work at the sub-national level (county level) in China. The UNFPA staff in China are all employed in Beijing.
	However, UNFPA's national staff do monitor in China. This includes regular visits to the counties where UNFPA support is provided, including household visits, and interviews with women's groups.

United Nations Population Fund

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how employees of the United Nations Population Fund monitor the Chinese one child policy within the counties they operate in; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) does not support or monitor the one child policy or its implementation.
	The UNFPA works in China, to support the reform of family planning, in line with the principles of free and informed choice as set out at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994.
	The UNFPA's monitoring in China includes regular visits by the UNFPA staff to the counties where the UNFPA support is provided, including household visits, and interviews with women's groups.
	As a condition of UNFPA support the Chinese authorities have removed birth quotas and targets within the counties in which UNFPA provides support. The UNFPA programme in China is making a full range of reproductive health services available in 32 counties on a voluntary basis.

West Papua

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of illegal logging and mining activity in West Papua.

Gareth Thomas: The scale of illegal logging and mining in Papua has, until recently, been poorly understood. An official Government of Indonesia investigation team in 2003 was turned away by the Governor of Papua. February 2005, however, saw the publication of a damning report The Last Frontier" by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and local NGO Telapak, supported by DFID. This resulted from several years of undercover investigations and reported that timber theft on a massive scale was taking place in Papua, to a value of $1 billion a year, mostly exported to feed the booming timber industries in China.
	The report galvanised serious action from the Government of Indonesia, which sent a team of 1,500 people to investigate, but no high level convictions resulted. The investigation was closed after criticism in Parliament of its lack of focus, inability to reach powerful actors, and unfair scape-goating of poor rural communities. However, the Ministry of Forestry has now instigated a review of the timber licensing systems in Papua, which DFID is currently supporting.
	There have been no systematic investigations into illegal mining in Papua. In 2001, the Indonesian environmental organization Walhi brought a successful conviction against Freeport Mines for breaking environmental law and misinforming the public about its responsibility for the inadequate construction and subsequent breach of a dam below its mine site that was filled with toxic waste. The dam's breach resulted in many deaths. The conviction was later overturned on appeal.
	DFID has been supporting the work of EIA/Telapak for a number of years, through our Forestry Programme (MFP) in Indonesia. The programme is also supporting the review of current forest management systems with the Ministry of Forestry, the Papua Provincial Forest Department, local NGOs and community groups. More widely in Papua, the programme is supporting rural communities to strengthen local institutions and map their traditional land claims in order for them to better negotiate with government and private businesses over future forest land uses.
	DFID also supports a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on Illegal Logging with the Government of Indonesia, which aims to tackle illegal logging in a variety of ways but has no activities specific to Papua. The Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, which DFID supports through the EU, foresees a voluntary partnership agreement with the Government of Indonesia that would restrict imports of illegal timber from Indonesia to the European Union member states.
	DFID continues to support EIA/Telapak through a new grant to focus specifically on Papua, building the capacity of local NGOs to fulfil a stronger watchdog role over illegal logging activities.
	DFID does not provide support to address the problems of illegal mining.

World Trade Talks

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) discussions he has had and (b) agreements have been reached between his Department and (i) the Department for Trade and Industry, (ii) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (iii) the EU Trade Commission in respect of objectives for desired outcomes from the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong in December, with particular reference to less developed countries.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 17 October 2005
	The UK's objectives for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Hong Kong, and the current round of trade negotiations on the Doha development agenda (DDA), were set out to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and by the Prime Minister to the European Parliament, on 23 June this year, while announcing the wider objectives the Government have for our current presidency of the European Union.
	They are to work with our EU partners, the Commission and the European Parliament to achieve the best possible outcome which leads to global economic growth, including through better access to markets for developing countries, in particular for the poorest nations in the world. We want an outcome which reflects the millennium development goals, and which allows the DDA to be completed during 2006.
	It is the European Commission that negotiates in the WTO, as in every other international trade policy forum, on behalf of the EU member states. The European Commission is fully aware of the UK's objectives.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experimentation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Department's policy is on the setting up of a Royal Commission into Animal Experimentation.

Andy Burnham: In the light of the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures, published in July 2002, the Government do not believe that there is a pressing need for a Royal Commission into the issue of animal experimentation at the present time. The Select Committee's exhaustive inquiry lasted for over a year and took oral and written evidence from over 100 organisations and individuals, including participants from the scientific community, industry, regulators and animal welfare and animal rights organisations.
	The Select Committee also visited universities, pharmaceutical and contract testing companies and research laboratories in the United Kingdom, France and the United States. The Select Committee concluded that it is morally acceptable to use animals in scientific procedures, but that it is morally wrong to cause them unnecessary or avoidable suffering. It also concluded that there is at present a continuing need for animal experiments both in applied research and in research aimed purely at extending knowledge. The Government share these views as, we believe, do the great majority of people in the United Kingdom.

Asylum Seekers

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) the assistance, with particular reference to interpretation facilities, available to asylum seekers making their initial application for asylum and (b) the impact of the absence of independent advisers from Home Office interviews.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Since 6 February this year the United Kingdom has implemented the ED Receptions Conditions Directive which lays down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers in member states including the requirement to provide all new asylum claimants with an information leaflet which advises them of their rights and responsibilities and provides contact numbers for support and assistance.
	This leaflet is available in 15 languages which covers the majority (approximately 92 per cent.) of asylum seekers. Asylum Screening Units in both Liverpool and Croydon have a pool of interpreters available for their immediate use, while ports of entry and other immigration offices will call in an interpreter to attend interviews, when required.
	All interpreters used by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) either hold a recognised public qualification such as the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (DPSI) Law option, or have been assessed by the Metropolitan Police or the Department of Constitutional Affairs (DCA). Interpreters are bound by a Code of Conduct and their performance is monitored by the IND officials.
	(b) The assessment made when funding for advisers to attend interviews was withdrawn in April 2004 was that their presence added little value in most cases. Where the claimant is considered to need additional support, as in the case of minors and people whose claims are considered very quickly, funding continues. There is no evidence that the changes have worked to the disadvantage of asylum claimants. Claimants can also ask for an audio recording of their substantive interviews if they are not entitled to representation at interview or lack sufficient resources to pay for their own representation, but at present only around 20 per cent. do so.

Asylum Seekers

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications from Somali nationals have (a) not yet been finally determined and (b) been refused in each of the last five years, broken down by year of the original application; and how many of those refused asylum seekers have been deported or voluntarily repatriated.

Tony McNulty: The requested information is not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	Available information is published in the quarterly and annual asylum statistics copies of which are accessible from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum made in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002, (d) 2003, (e) 2004 and (f) 2005 by nationals of (i) Sierra Leone, (ii) Nigeria, (iii) Ghana, (iv) Uganda, (v) Zimbabwe, (vi) Ethiopia, (vii) Eritrea, (viii) Somalia, (ix) Moldova, (x) Afghanistan, (xi) Iraq, (xii) Iran, (xiii) Turkey, (xiv) Ecuador and (xv) Colombia have been successful; how many were accepted by the Home Office before tribunal proceedings; how many were successful as a result (A) of a decision of an adjudicator, (B) of a decision of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal and (C) of a final decision by the Home Secretary; and what percentage of the total each category represents.

Tony McNulty: The requested information is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate costs by examination of individual case records. Information on asylum applications, grants of asylum at initial decision and appeal outcomes by nationality is published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the Library on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum have been made in each year since 2001.

Tony McNulty: Information on asylum applications is published quarterly and annually. The information requested is published in the annual bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2004. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum Seekers

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in Gravesham are awaiting the result of (a) an initial decision and (b) an appeal.

Tony McNulty: Asylum seekers apply to be granted refugee status in the UK rather than specifically in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Information on asylum seekers' initial decisions and subsequent appeals within particular areas of the UK is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
	Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives. The numbers of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are published on a quarterly and annual basis, broken down by local authority.
	The next publication covering the third quarter of 2005 (July to September) will be available on 22 November 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Data on asylum seekers supported by NASS broken down by parliamentary constituency are also available from the Library of the House

British Citizenship

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation as a British citizen since 2001 have been processed within (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) two years and (d) three years; and how many are outstanding after three years.

Tony McNulty: Information is only available from April 2002. The number of cases decided within the specified timescales is as follows:
	During 2004–05, 53 per cent. of new applications were decided within three months of receipt, 75 per cent. within six months and 97 per cent. within 12 months.
	580 applications are outstanding after three years.
	
		
			  Decided within: 
			  Six months 12 months 24 months 36 months 
		
		
			 2002–03 69,331 52,530 18,005 634 
			 2003–04 97,921 26,935 15,403 142 
			 2004–05 115,836 22,303 1,288 0

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will to reply to the letter to him dated 7 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Kenroy Brown.

Charles Clarke: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 20 October 2005.

EU Accession Country Migrants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens from East European member states of the EU resident in the UK have registered with the workers registration scheme, broken down by (a) occupation and (b) nationality.

Tony McNulty: The Accession Monitoring Report for May 2004—June 2005 sets out the number of citizens from East European member states of the European Union (EU) who have registered with the worker registration scheme during this period. This report is available on the Home Office website via:http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_ monitoring.html

EU Accession Country Migrants

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the economic impact of the settlement of economic migrants from European Union accession countries in the UK since 1 May 2004, with particular reference to local public services; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: On 1 May 2004 the Government set up the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) to regulate accession eight nationals' access to the labour market and to restrict access to benefits.
	The Government committed to publish data from the Worker Registration Scheme on a quarterly basis. The latest quarterly statistics for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2005 were published on 23 August 2005. The report includes the number of people registering on the WRS and the number of accession nationals that apply for benefits.
	A copy of the report is available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_ monitoring.html

EU Accession Country Migrants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have come to the United Kingdom from the new EU accession states under the Worker Registration Scheme; and what estimate he has made of their financial contribution to the UK.

Tony McNulty: On 1 May 2004 the Government set up the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) to regulate Accession eight nationals' access to the labour market and to restrict access to benefits.
	The Government committed to publish data from the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) on a quarterly basis. The latest quarterly statistics for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2005 were published on 23 August 2005. The report gives the number of people registering on the WRS but we currently provide no estimate of the financial contribution of A8 migrants under the WRS.
	A copy of the report is available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_monitoring.html

Human Trafficking

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his strategy for (a) combating trafficking in human beings and (b) caring for victims of trafficking.

Paul Goggins: The Government have a comprehensive strategy to tackle trafficking which encompasses legislation, law enforcement, prevention, international co-operation and the support of victims. Trafficking is a priority for our presidencies of the EU and G8. The Government provide £20 million of funding annually to Reflex, the multi-agency task force which co-ordinates the law enforcement response to organised immigration crime. Reflex has resulted in a number of successful prosecutions of traffickers.
	In March 2003 a small-scale Home Office-funded pilot Scheme was launched in London in partnership with Eaves Housing for Women to provide safe accommodation and one-to-one support for adult female victims trafficked into the UK for prostitution. An evaluation of the Scheme has just been completed and published. Overall this was positive about the model of support provided by the Scheme and funding has been extended until March 2006. We are now considering the future provision of support in light of the evaluation findings.

Identity Cards

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to make financial concessions on the cost of identity cards for (a) people on low income, (b) young people and students and (c) the elderly; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Clause 37 of the Identity Cards Bill provides for maximum flexibility in setting reduced fees for any group including those listed in the question. No decisions have been made on the details of any concessionary fee regime which will need to be informed by the outcome of the procurement stage. The Bill was amended in Committee to ensure that the first fee schedule for the scheme will be debated in Parliament.
	As to the cost of ID cards more generally, our current best estimate of the average unit cost of getting a combined passport and ID card package valid for 10 years is £93. Around 70 per cent. of these costs would be incurred anyway because of the world-wide move to biometric passports.
	However some people may choose to obtain a stand-alone ID card. It will be affordable to set a charge of £30 at current prices for a standalone ID card which is valid for 10 years. This will be affordable within current Home Office spending plans.

Illegal Migrants

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal migrants including dependants he estimates are resident in London.

Tony McNulty: As in other countries, the number of unauthorised" or illegal" migrants—including failed asylum seekers—in the UK is unknown. A report by the Migration Research Unit (MRU) of University College London on Sizing the Illegally Resident Population in the UK" was published last year. It reviewed the methods used by researchers and Government agencies in other countries and assessed their viability for use in the UK.
	That report suggested that a method which could be applied in the UK is the residual method" used in the United States. The new report details how that method has been applied in the UK. It was published by the Home Office on 30 June. A copy of the RDS on-line report 29/05—Sizing the unauthorised (illegal) migrant population in the United Kingdom in 2001" can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/notes/june_summaries.html.
	The central estimate of the illegally resident population is 430,000. This is not broken down geographically. It must be emphasised that, while this method is one that can be used with data available for the UK, over-reliance must not be placed on this result in the absence of the means to produce other estimates using different methods.

Illegal Migrants

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants have been found (a) within the UK and (b) in London in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: The number of persons who have had enforcement action initiated against them as illegal entrants in each year since 1992 is given in the table. People who have had enforcement action initiated against them may then be removed from the country.
	There may be some barriers to removal including judicial or human rights applications; lack of documentation (without which an applicant cannot be returned); absence of a travel route, lack of co-operation from receiving countries or scheduled flight services (resulting in lengthy documentation processes or use of charter flights).
	Alternatively, some people may decide to leave voluntarily, after enforcement action has been initiated against them and others may chose to leave via Assisted Voluntary Returns programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration. Information on the number of illegal immigrants that have been found in London is not available.
	
		Persons subject to illegal entry enforcement action(4), 1992 to 2004, United Kingdom
		
			  Persons against whom enforcement action was initiated(5)(5508210006) 
		
		
			 1992 5,670 
			 1993 5,780 
			 1994 7,540 
			 1995 10,820 
			 1996 14,560 
			 1997 14,390 
			 1998 16,500 
			 1999 21,165 
			 2000 47,325 
			 2001 69,875 
			 2002 48,050 
			 2003 — 
			 2004(7)(5508210008)(9) 36,550 
		
	
	(4) Under sections 3(6), 3(7) or 33(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, or under section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
	(5) Figures rounded to the nearest five.
	(6) Illegal entrants detected and persons issued with a notice of intention to deport, recommended for deportation by a court or proceeded against under Section 10.
	(7) 2004 figures include dependants of asylum seekers.
	(8) Figures for 2004 include nationals of the 10 EU accession countries.
	(9) Provisional.

Illegal Migrants

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions have been brought against employers for hiring illegal immigrants in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of persons found guilty under section eight of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1996 for employing illegal immigrants is published annually in the Control of Immigration Command Paper. Section eight of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 first introduced the offence of employing illegal migrant workers and it came into force on 27 January 1997.
	No figures are therefore available for the years prior to this date. The published statistics are available on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigrant Labour

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the net contributions of immigrant workers to the UK economy in the latest year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: In 2002 the Home Office published research into the net fiscal contribution of migrants. This was based on figures for 1999–2000 and estimated that migrants made a net fiscal contribution of £2.5 billion. This research was recently updated by IPPR based on figures for 2003–04 (Sriskandarajah, Cooley and Reed: Paying their way: the fiscal contribution of immigrants in the UK, IPPR, London, 2005). This found that migrants made a relatively greater fiscal contribution than UK born residents.

Immigration

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will commission research on whether the integration of refugees is affected by the grant of limited rather than indefinite leave to remain.

Tony McNulty: No. We have a comprehensive strategy for the integration of migrants including refugees Integration Matters, published this year, which takes account of this change, and we will be carrying out a survey as part of that strategy which will provide information on a range of factors which affect the integration of refugees.

Immigration

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many working hours have been lost at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate due to the loss of computer access in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Information about loss of computer access can only be provided from 1 January 2005 since prior to this date, the contractual performance measures did not support the provision of this information.
	From 1 January 2005 to 10 October 2005 (comprising 6,720 working hours), 113 IT service hours have been lost to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate resulting from four major incidents, highlighted in the table.
	
		
			 From To Duration  
			 Date Time Date Time Service hours Reason 
		
		
			 22 April 2005 09.30 22 April 2005 13.00 3.5 Power Outage 
			 19 July 2005 07.35 19 July 2005 21.50 14.5 Air conditioning failure 
			 14 June 2005 16.00 18 June 2005 09.00 89.0 Data synchronisation error 
			 26 September 2005 15.12 26 September 2005 21.00 6.0 Data switch failure 
			Total 113.0

Mobile Telephones (Driving Offences)

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many fixed penalty notices have been issued in England and Wales for offences involving using hand-held mobile telephones when driving a motor vehicle;
	(2)  how many fixed penalty notices have been issued for offences while driving a motor vehicle and using a hand-held mobile telephone in the South Wales Police Force area.

Paul Goggins: The new offence of driving whilst using a hand-held mobile telephone was introduced from 1 December 2003. In the first month of the new offence, within England and Wales, 1,888 fixed penalty notices were issued for the offence. These are the latest available figures. None were issued by South Wales police. 2004 data will be available in early 2006.

Passports

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the identification requirements are for a UK passport photograph of a person who is wearing a burka or other face-covering apparel.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 18 October 2005
	All passport photographs must show the passport holder's full face. Headwear worn for religious reasons is permitted, provided the full face can still be seen and there are no shadows on the face.

Passports

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the photographic identification requirements for identity cards in the Identity Cards Bill are to be the same as those currently used for UK passport applications.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 18 October 2005
	The photograph used on identity cards will, like the photographs used for passports, need to comply with International Civil Aviation Organisation recommendations for Machine-Readable Travel Documents. It may also need to comply with other requirements (resolution, etc.) for the purposes of being usable by the facial recognition technology eventually chosen by the scheme.
	Whereas photographs currently used for passports are supplied by the applicant, the photograph used for the Identity Card will be taken at a meeting at one of the enrolment centres operated by the scheme.

Passports

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time was between receipt of a request for the return of documents by the Home Office Passport Unit and the issuing of a loss of passport letter in (a) 199798, (b) 200102, (c) 200203, (d) 200304, (e) 200405 and (f) 2005 to date; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Information on the average time between receipt of a request for the return of documents by the Home Office Passport Unit and the issuing of a loss of passport letter would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Refugees

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the human rights records of the top 10 refugee producing countries in 2004.

Tony McNulty: Home Office Country of Origin Information Service produces Country of Origin Information Reports on the 20 countries that generate the most asylum applications to the UK. These documents focus on human rights issues and are compiled from material produced by external information sources including the US State Department, UNHCR, human rights organisations and news media. The reports are not 'assessments' but brief summaries of the original source material and do not contain any Home Office policy or opinion. They are published on the Home Office website twice yearly, at the end of April and October. Bulletins are issued in between editions of the reports where updates on significant events are required.
	Home Office Asylum and Appeals Policy Directorate produces Operational Guidance Notes on the top 20 countries generating asylum applicants and other countries where there is an operational need. These documents provide a brief summary of the general, political and human rights situation in the country and details of common types of claims. They aim to provide clear guidance for caseworkers on whether the main types of claim are likely to justify the grant of asylum, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary leave. Operational Guidance Notes are also published on the Home Office website www.homeoffice.gov.uk .

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the Youth Justice Board's report on the use of restraint in secure training centres.

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 604W.

Skills Advisory Body

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether he expects the reports of the Skills Advisory Body to be published in full;
	(2)  what the proposed terms of reference of the Skills Advisory Body are.

Tony McNulty: No decision has yet been taken on the terms of reference or the nature of the output of the proposed Skills Advisory Body. This is currently out for consultation along with the other proposals for a points based system for managed migration. The consultation closes on 7 November.

Visas

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visas for temporary stays in the United Kingdom have been issued in each year since 2000.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The information on visas issued for non-settlement in the United Kingdom in each year since 2000, is as follows:
	
		
			  Non-settlement visas issued 
		
		
			 2000(10) 1,430,574 
			 200102(11) 1,495,472 
			 200203(11) 1,592,421 
			 200304(11) 1,766,170 
		
	
	(10) This figure represents visas issued in the calendar year.
	(11) These figures represent visas issued in the financial year.
	The statistics provided for the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 are publicly available on the UKvisas website at www.ukvisas.gov.ukEntry Clearance: Facts and Figures. UKvisas is the department responsible for entry clearance overseas. Figures for April 2004 to March 2005 are due to be published on the website shortly.

Work Permits

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits were issued in each of the last five years to individuals working in (a) health care and (b) social care.

Tony McNulty: Figures for individuals working in social care are not identified separately. However work permits issued for the Health Care Industry include social care approvals. The numbers of work permits issued in each of the last five years for these sectors are as follows:
	
		
			  Work permits issued 
		
		
			 2000 19,961 
			 2001 30,576 
			 2002 38,456 
			 2003 44,443 
			 2004 48,493

Work Permits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-European Economic Area foreign nationals were granted permits in 2004 to work in the United Kingdom.

Tony McNulty: Work permit approvals in 2004 totalled 156,275.

Work Permits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of jobs for successful applicants under the Worker Registration Scheme covering the new EU accession states have been in (a) hospitality and catering, (b) administration, business and management, (c) agriculture, (d) manufacturing, (e) food processing and (f) other;
	(2)  what the age profile is of the successful applicants under the worker registration scheme covering the new EU accession states;
	(3)  what proportion of successful applicants under the worker registration scheme covering the new EU accession states have (a) applied for and (b) been granted state benefits.

Tony McNulty: On 1 May 2004 the Government set up the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) to regulate Accession eight nationals' access to the labour market and to restrict access to benefits.
	The Government committed to publish data from the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) on a quarterly basis. The latest quarterly statistics for the period 1 May 2004 to 30 June 2005 were published on 23 August 2005. The report gives details of the employment sectors in which Accession eight nationals are registered, the age profile of the applicants and access to benefits by Accession nationals.
	A copy of the report is available on the IND website:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/0/reports/accession_monitoring.html

Work Permits

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of the seasonal agricultural workers scheme.

Tony McNulty: On 19 July 2005 the Home Secretary published a consultation document on a new system for managed migration: Introducing a new (points-based) system for managed migration to the UK. The purpose of the document is to explain the proposals, including the Government's thinking on the development of schemes for the admission of low-skilled workers from outside the EEA, and seek the views of our customers and stakeholders.
	The future of the seasonal agricultural workers scheme (SAWS) is being considered as part of this consultation. Officials met with representatives from the agricultural sector on 6 October to discuss the options for future low-skilled migration routes for the agricultural sector.

TREASURY

Academies (Tax Relief)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) tax, (b) VAT and (c) other excise duty reliefs and exemptions apply to (i) city academies, (ii) foundation schools and (iii) the sponsors of city academies for the cost of their sponsorship and related expenses.

Ivan Lewis: City academies and foundation schools benefit from the full range of VAT and direct tax reliefs available to charities. They are exempt from tax on most income and capital gains when these are applied to charitable purposes, and benefit from a range of VAT reliefs. These VAT reliefs include a zero rate for construction of buildings, or parts of buildings, where at least 90 per cent. of total use will be solely for a relevant charitable purpose, such as the provision of core education. City academies and foundation schools also qualify for a reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent. when they purchase fuel and power for use in the course of their charitable non-business activities.
	Academies and foundation schools can reclaim any VAT they have incurred that relates to taxable activities, such as extended use of school facilities for which a taxable charge is made. They can also choose to reclaim from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) any VAT costs relating to non-business use of buildings, and to account for output tax on this non-business use over a twenty year period. In addition, local education authorities can reclaim from HMRC any VAT costs they have incurred in relation to foundation schools, or any VAT costs incurred by the foundation school when making purchases as an agent of the local education authority.
	VAT is not chargeable on the sponsorship contribution made by academy sponsors. Where an academy sponsor makes the payment wholly and exclusively for the purposes of their trade and does not acquire any capital asset in return, the expenditure is allowable for tax purposes. Alternatively, if the sponsor is itself an educational charity the sponsorship payment would be treated as qualifying charitable expenditure and the income from which the sponsorship payment is made is potentially exempt from tax.
	There are no special excise duty reliefs or exemptions available to academies, foundation schools or academy sponsors.

Child Trust Fund

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been allocated to publicising the Child Trust Fund for the periods (a) January to 31 December 2004, (b) January 2005 to 30 June 2005, (c) 30 June 2005 to 30 September 2005 and (d) 30 September 2005 to 31 December 2005, broken down by (i) radio, (ii) television and (iii) newspaper advertising; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The objectives of the Child Trust Fund advertising campaign are:
	to ensure that parents are aware of the Child Trust Fund;
	to ensure that parents understand what they need to do to open an account and where they can go for more information; and
	to encourage parents to open an account for their child.
	As at 20 August 2005, 1,927,000 vouchers had been issued and 889,000 accounts had been opened.
	Total media spend on advertising during the periods listed above was as follows (these figures include any related media buying fees, but exclude VAT):
	
		
		
			 Period Radio Television Newspaper Total 
		
		
			 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 0 0 0 0 
			 1 January 2005 to 30 June 2005 340,000 1.48 million 800,000 2.62 million 
			 30 June 2005 to 30 September 2005 210,000 970,000 99,000 1.28 million 
			 30 September 2005 to 31 December 2005(12) 0 960,000 250,000 1.2 million 
		
	
	(12) Figures for 30 September 2005 to 31 December 2005 are approximate, as final costs will not be known until after the current burst of advertising has finished.

Compensation Payments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments for compensation for (a) discrimination and (b) unfair dismissal have been made by his Department and its agencies over the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Over the last three years the Chancellor's Department and its agencies have made payments for (a) discrimination of 153,700 in total and (b) unfair dismissal of 88,168 in total.

Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual amount received from corporation tax in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information is not available to estimate the annual amount received from corporation tax in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Financial Services Authority

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reform the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The two-year review of the Financial Services and Market Act 2000 was completed in December of last year. Following this review, the FSA has been working to refine further its cost-benefit analysis methodology and the implementation of it.

Financial Services Authority

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding (a) expenditure on human resources and (b) senior staff pay and bonuses at the Financial Services Authority during the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is operationally independent of Government. Expenditure on human resources, senior staff pay and bonuses are matters for the FSA Board. It is worth highlighting that the FSA consults on its business plan and the proposed level of fees each year.
	The FSA Annual Report for 200405 provides details of the FSA's reward system.

Financial Services Authority

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding malpractice at the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The FSA is one of the public bodies cited in a statement of complaint received from the Parliamentary Ombudsman which alleges maladministration in respect of the prudential regulation of Equitable Life. The allegation covers the period prior to December 2001; from January 1999 to that date the FSA carried out the prudential regulation of Equitable Life under contracting-out arrangements. The investigation of this complaint is continuing. A statement of complaint against the FSA only for this period has previously been investigated by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, who found there had been no maladministration.
	Otherwise I am not aware of other representations regarding malpractice at the Financial Services Authority.

Fuel Oil Duty

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Government received from the duty levied on fuel oil in the financial years (a) 200203, (b) 200304 and (c) 200405; what revenue his Department estimates it will receive in the financial year 200506; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Annual excise duty receipts for fuel oil are included in Table 3 of the HM Revenue and Customs statistical Bulletin for Hydrocarbon Oils, which can be found on a HM Revenue and Customs website address at:
	http: //www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullhydro
	Information on monthly receipts collected to September 2005 is available in the same table.
	The estimated excise duty receipts for hydrocarbon oils in the financial year 200506 were published in the Budget 2005 Financial Statement and Budget Report, Table C8.

Fuel Oil Duty

Lembit �pik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT the Treasury collected from the sale of fuel oil in the financial years (a) 200203, (b) 200304 and (c) 200405; what revenue his Department estimates it will receive in the financial year 200506; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs do not collect data on VAT for individual goods or services.

Game Rearing Farms

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 292W, on game rearing farms, what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue which is lost because game farms are not accurately registered for non-domestic rates.

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA), whose valuation officers are responsible for maintaining non-domestic rating lists, do not hold any statistics relating to the loss of revenue due to any game farms not being identified and entered into the relevant lists. The VOA believes that any significant game farms have already been identified either by the Agency, billing authorities (who are responsible for notifying the Agency) or via inquiries by animal rights organisations or the Game Farmers Association. In general, game farm assessments produce relatively low rateable values. This is because the average operation is on a relatively small scale, the area of land utilised for the actual operations is often no more than a field or part of a field, often this is transient (which may mean the operation is not treated as rateable due to the de minimis provisions relating to the exemption of agricultural land) and any rateable buildings are poorly located, minimal and of agricultural quality.
	The VOA has undertaken various initiatives over recent years to identify commercial game farms and to enter them in the non-domestic rating lists. Where the valuation officer is aware of a property that may be operating as a commercial game farm and it is not assessed for non-domestic rates, then the circumstances will be investigated by the valuation officer and action will be taken to assess the game farm, if appropriate.

Hospital Births

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many births to women resident in (a) Fareham, (b) Gosport, (c) Portsmouth and (d) Havant local authority areas took place in (i) Blackbrook maternity unit, (ii) the Mary Rose Unit, St Mary's hospital Portsmouth, (iii) other Portsmouth hospitals NHS trust, (iv) other NHS hospitals, (v) at home and (vi) elsewhere in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 24 October 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question concerning the number of births to women resident in (a) Fareham, (b) Gosport, (c) Portsmouth and (d) Havant local authority areas took place in (i) Blackbrook maternity unit, (ii) the Mary Rose unit, St Mary's hospital Portsmouth, (iii) other Portsmouth hospitals NHS trust, (iv) other NHS hospitals, (v) at home and (vi) elsewhere in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004. (20373)
	The latest period for which data are available is 2003. A table is provided . The statistics relate to maternities, whether leading to a live-birth, a still-birth, or a multiple birth. (A multiple birth counts as one maternity and maternities before 24 weeks gestation are not registered.)
	
		Maternities to residents of Portsmouth UA, Fareham CD, Gosport CD and Havant CD by place of occurrence 2003
		
			  Mother's local authority of residence 
			  Portsmouth Fareham Gosport Havant 
		
		
			 (i) Blackbrook Maternity unit (13) 112 (13) (13) 
			 (ii) Mary Rose unit, Portsmouth 2,100 632 613 1,001 
			 (iii) Other Portsmouth NHS trusts (13) (13) 212 (13) 
			 (iv) Other NHS hospitals 44 273 24 194 
			 (v) At home 47 20 22 22 
			 (vi) Elsewhere (13) (13) (13) (13) 
			 Total 2,196 1,051 876 1,221 
		
	
	(13) Cells with fewer than 5 maternities are suppressed for disclosure reasons. It has also been necessary to apply further suppression to avoid disclosure by differencing from the total.

Ministerial Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether (a) he or (b) any other Minister in his Department uses (i) an automated signing machine and (ii) a stamp for ministerial correspondence purposes.

John Healey: Guidance on handling ministerial correspondence is set out in 'Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments' copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. Treasury Ministers do not use automated signing machines or signature stamps for ministerial correspondence.

Mortgage Products

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next plans to review the range of mortgage products on the market.

Ivan Lewis: The UK benefits from a diverse and competitive mortgage market, which offers consumers a wide choice of products. FSA and HM Treasury officials maintain ongoing contact with market participants in order to keep abreast of product innovations.
	At present there are no plans for a formal review of the range of mortgage products available.

Pensions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will break down the tax relief given on approved pension scheme contributions in 200405 by decile of the pre-tax income distribution;
	(2)  how much of the tax relief given on approved pension scheme contributions in 200405 was given to taxpayers with a taxable income of more than 100,000 a year;
	(3)  how much of the tax relief given on account of approved pension scheme contributions in 200405 was given to (a) taxpayers paying the 40 pence higher rate of income tax and (b) taxpayers who would have been paying the 40 pence higher rate of income tax were it not for this relief.

Ivan Lewis: Estimates of the cost of tax relief on contributions to approved pension schemes are published on the HMRC website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/pensions/7_9_sep05.pdf.
	It is not possible to break these estimates down by decile or taxable income bands. However, for relief on individual and employee contributions, a broad estimate of the proportion of relief split between higher rate payers, those that would be higher rate in the absence of the relief, and others is given as follows.
	
		Percentage of tax relief on individual and employee pension contributions
		
			 Marginal income tax rate Percentage of tax relief 
		
		
			 Higher rate 55 
			 Those that would be higher rate without the tax relief 5 
			 Others 40 
		
	
	This distribution is based on the 200203 Survey of Personal Incomes projected to 200405. It is not possible to provide such a breakdown for employer contributions.

Pre-owned Asset Regulations

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Written Statement of 21 July 2005, Official Report, column 111WS, on pre-owned asset regulations (double charges), when he plans to publish the regulations.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs are currently finalising the regulations.

Private Members' Bills

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions since 1997 Ministers from his Department have (a) authorised parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.

John Healey: The information is not available.

Public Sector Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will produce an annual estimate of the unfunded liabilities of public sector pension schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 306W.

Public Service Agreements

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with Health Ministers on the operation of their public service agreements; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Chancellor holds regular discussions with Health Ministers on a range of policy matters.

Regional Economic Performance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish a system of six-monthly published reports on regional economic performance including productivity, wage levels, investment influences, employment levels and public spending per capita.

John Healey: The Government publish progress against their regional economic performance PSA target every six months in the Departmental Reports and Autumn Performance Reports for HM Treasury, DTI and ODPM. The most recent progress report is provided in HM Treasury: Departmental Report, June 2005 (Cm. 6540).
	Total identifiable public expenditure on services by region per capita is provided on an annual basis by the ONS. The most recent data is set out in table 8.2 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2005 (Cm 6521).

Regional Pay Variations

Andrew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what monitoring he undertakes of (a) local and regional variations in pay and (b) the account taken of extra costs for retention and recruitment that arise in the South East and London in public sector pay (i) remits and (ii) settlements.

Des Browne: The Government monitors many aspects of public sector pay and is working with Departments to encourage and promote greater emphasis of regional and local issues when setting pay.
	Where individual Departments and agencies are facing localised recruitment and retention problems for their staff or the work force groups that they represent, their proposals for addressing these are scrutinised on a case-by-case in their individual pay remits by the Treasury (in the case of pay remits) and the independent Pay Review Bodies (in the case of certain other work force groups in the public sector).
	The Independent Review of Public Sector Relocation carried out by Sir Michael Lyons in 2004 highlighted the extra costs associated with employing staff in London and the South East and the financial savings that will result over the medium term from the relocation of 20,000 posts. The Government is on course to meet this target.

Revenue and Customs

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of the merger of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) on 13 October 2005, Official Report, column 551W.

Revenue and Customs

Peter Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been recruited to work within Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: In the last five financial years, the total number of recruits (including both permanent and non-permanent staff) to HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland was:
	
		
			  Headcount 
		
		
			 200001 225 
			 200102 174 
			 200203 260 
			 200304 267 
			 200405 197

Revenue and Customs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff are employed by HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland, broken down by grade; and how many of those staff are currently investigating (a) fuel smuggling and (b) other illegal activities by republican and loyalist paramilitaries.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of staff (full-time equivalents) employed by HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland as at 1 April 2005, broken down by grade, was as set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Grade Number(14) 
		
		
			 SCS 2 
			 Grade 6 15 
			 Grade 7 36 
			 Fast Stream 1 
			 SEO 91 
			 HEO 290 
			 EO 714 
			 AO 1,001 
			 AA 372 
			 Total 2,522 
		
	
	(14) Figures rounded to the nearest whole number
	It is not our policy to disclose the details of the location and numbers of staff engaged in tackling serious and organised criminality, as to do so could provide assistance to those engaged in criminal activity. In addition, to do so would misrepresent the nature of criminal investigation activity, where staff are often tasked to act on a national basis.

Spectrum Tax

John Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely level of the proposed spectrum tax; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much he expects to be raised in spectrum tax from the BBC over the period of the next Charter; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: There are no proposals to introduce a spectrum tax. Ofcom, the independent regulator for the UK communications industries, is responsible for spectrum management, including the use of pricing to achieve its duty to ensure optimal use of spectrum.

Tax Credits

Charles Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will cease to pursue low income households for the repayment of overpaid tax credits; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC's approach to handling overpayments is set out in Code of Practice 26: What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit? It explains that, for claimants receiving the maximum award of child or working tax credit, there is a limit of 10 per cent. on the amount by which HMRC will reduce tax credits payments to recover overpaid tax credits from a previous year.
	CoP26 is published on the HMRC website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a more recent draft of the tax credit award notice than the draft under review as at 10 June.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 17 October 2005
	HMRC have been working on some further changes. An updated draft of the tax credits award notice will be placed in the Library when available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the tax credit entitlement of a family on a total income of 12,000 per annum with two children will be the same whether there are one or two adults in the family; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The tax credit entitlement of a family on a total income of 12,000 will be the same whether there are one or two adults.
	The Government believe that all children should have the chance to fulfil their potential, regardless of circumstances.

Tax Credits

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the number of tax credit overpayments in 200405; what their total value is; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Anne Main) on the 13 October 2005, Official Report, Column 428.

Tax Credits

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the City of Edinburgh local authority area are in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mrs. Dorries) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 321W.

Tax Credits

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Kent have benefited financially from the tax credit system in 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedfordshire (Mrs. Dorries) on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 321W.

VAT (Sun Beds)

Si�n James: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether VAT is levied on charges by sun bed tanning retail outlets.

Dawn Primarolo: The supply of the use of sun beds and tanning equipment by sun bed tanning retail outlets is VAT standard-rated. Businesses whose taxable turnover exceeds the current VAT registration threshold of 60,000 per annum must therefore account for VAT on their supplies of such services.

Volunteering

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many volunteering positions his Department has offered in each of the last five years.

John Healey: HM Treasury has operated a range of employee volunteering initiatives and schemes for a number of years, and many teams and directorates volunteer on a regular basis. Mechanisms are being introduced to monitor the overall level of volunteering in the Treasury but information on the exact number of volunteering positions could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	One example of volunteering this year is the Department's participation in the National Mentoring Consortium Scheme http://www.uel.ac.uk/nmc/ that provides mentors for ethnic minority undergraduate students. To date eight Treasury employees have volunteered to become mentors in this scheme.
	The Government announced additional investment for volunteering in Budget 2004, for 2005 as the Year of the Volunteer. In this context this year, the Treasury has developed its volunteering strategy. In particular, in addition to one day's volunteering leave, staff can now trade unused days with colleagues up to a maximum of five days per staff member per year.

Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were working (a) fewer than 16 hours per week, (b) more than 16 hours per week and (c) more than 30 hours per week in each year since 199697; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Laws, dated 24 October 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number hours worked per week. (20022)
	The attached table provides the available information on usual weekly hours worked for the categories requested, covering the three month periods ending in August of the years 19962005.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		All persons in employment by usual weekly hours of work(15);United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted -- Thousands
		
			 Three months ending August All in employment Less than 16 hours 16 up to 30 hours 31 hours and over 
		
		
			 1996 26,064 2,682 3,908 19,474 
			 1997 26,512 2,649 4,052 19,811 
			 1998 26,829 2,589 4,184 20,055 
			 1999 27,162 2,610 4,295 20,257 
			 2000 27,557 2,624 4,443 20,491 
			 2001 27,714 2,411 4,590 20,714 
			 2002 27,921 2,499 4,727 20,695 
			 2003 28,186 2,576 4,816 20,793 
			 2004 28,414 2,463 5,014 20,937 
			 2005 28,759 2,424 5,089 21,246 
		
	
	(15) Main job only.
	Note:
	Due to rounding, some figures may not add up.
	Source:
	ONSLabour Force Survey

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Child Poverty

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the percentage of children living in households with income at or below 13,910 in (a) Waltham Forest, (b) Redbridge, (c) London and (d) England.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on income is not available below regional level. The available information is in the table.
	
		Households with children by total annual household income
		
			  Percentage of households 
			 Total annual household income London England 
		
		
			 At or below 13,910 21 16 
			 Above 13,910 79 84 
		
	
	Note:
	Percentages are rounded to the nearest percent.
	Source:
	DWP, Family Resources Survey 200304

Compulsory Redundancies

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancies there have been in his Department (i) in 2005 and (ii) in each of the last five years.

Alan Johnson: The number of staff who left DTI headquarters directorates (including SBS and UKTI) on the grounds of redundancy on either voluntary early retirement or early severance terms in the years 2000 to 2005 are as follows:
	
		(a) Voluntary redundancy
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 (i) 2005 0 
			 (ii) 2004 10 
			  2003 5 
			  2002 2 
			  2001 1 
			  2000 0 
		
	
	
		(b) Compulsory redundancy
		
			   Number 
		
		
			 (i) 2005 0 
			 (ii) 2004 7 
			  2003 3 
			  2002 0 
			  2001 5 
			  2000 0

Departmental Underspend

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the latest estimate is of underspend by his Department (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of departmental budget for financial year 200405.

Alan Johnson: As published in the Public Expenditure Provisional Outturn White Paper for 200405, my Department's underspend against the budget within departmental expenditure limits (DEL) amounted to a total of 457 million. The variance was mainly due to a lower than expected funding requirement in respect of the regional development agencies.
	The underspend as a percentage of the departmental DEL budget amounted to 7 per cent.

Energywatch

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made by Energywatch in giving advice to smaller companies and public sector organisations on using flexible purchasing policies; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Energywatch's Business Team provides advice to small and medium enterprise [SME] customers to enable them to get the most out of the energy market. The team has identified a number of problems faced by these customers, and additional information on the issues will be available from Energywatch's website www.energywatch.org.uk in November. Among other things, the additional information would include advice on how SMEs can access offers from energy suppliers, and understand the contract environment.
	Energywatch is, in conjunction with DTI, sponsoring an event on 30 November to help SME and public sector consumers develop effective energy procurement strategies in the present climate of rising gas and electricity prices.

Export Controls

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies in the UK have an export licence for the export of arms to Israel.

Gerry Sutcliffe: 72 companies in the UK currently hold individual export licences authorising the export of Military List items to Israel.

Films (Conditional Bookings)

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the effect of repeal of the Films (Alignments) Order 1989 on conditional bookings; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have received representations from ministerial colleagues at DCMS, the UK Film Council and the Cinema Exhibitors' Association regarding the proposed revocation of the Films (Exclusivity Agreements) Order 1989.
	Some concerns have been raised that the revocation of the order will see a return to the practice of film bundling. However, the order does not and was never intended to prohibit this particular practice. Such agreements between film distributors and cinema chains may fall within the remit of the Chapter I prohibition of the Competition Act 1998 and/or Article 81 of the EC Treaty. It would be for the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to decide whether any action was appropriate.
	Therefore I intend to accept the advice of the chairman of the OFT and proceed with the revocation.

Ministerial Visits (Nuclear Installations)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give (a) the date and (b) the location of ministerial visits to nuclear installations that (i) have taken place in the past six months and (ii) are planned for the next three months.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 October 2005
	I visited Sellafield on 25 July. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competitiveness visited Sellafield on 5 September, and Dounreay on 19 September. No other visits to nuclear installations have been undertaken by Ministers of this Department in the past six months, and none are planned for the next three months.

National Grid

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the capacity of the national grid to accommodate new wind turbines; what that capacity is; and at what percentage of that capacity the grid is operating.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI and Carbon Trust Renewables Network Impacts Study (April 2004) stated that there are no major technical barriers to connecting expected rising levels of new wind turbines to the national grid by 2010 (7.6 per cent. by system demand) and 2020 (14.2 per cent. by system demand).
	The report also concludes that the costs associated with intermittency to achieve the 2010 target are modest. These costs would fall to the wind power generator. The costs are more significant for the 2020 aspiration due to the amount of reserve the system needs to carry. Intermittency has to be managed but surplus capacity is always maintained in case of plant failure for all technology.
	In 2004 RO eligible renewable generation accounted for 3.1 per cent. of capacity connected to the national grid.

North Sea Energy Industry

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's projection of UK continental shelf oil and gas production as measured in billion barrels of oil equivalent is up to the year 2030.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI does not project production as far ahead as 2030. The Department's latest published UK continental shelf (UKCS) production projections (at http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/chapters/Section4_17.htm) extend to only 2010. However, DTI does publish annually (at http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/chapters/reserves_index.htm) estimates of recoverable UKCS oil and gas reserves. These identify reserves remaining in existing discoveries, classified according to the probability of their development, and estimates of resources in as-yet-undiscovered fields. As at the start of 2005, perhaps 22 to 28 billion barrels of oil equivalent were expected to remain. How much of that oil and gas will be produced will depend on future activity levels, which are uncertain, but it seems likely that the large majority of the UK's hydrocarbon resources will have been extracted by 2030.

North-East Development Agency

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the work of the north-east development agency over the last four years.

Alun Michael: Since its formation in 1999, One NorthEast has created/safeguarded 86,607 jobs and helped 17,029 business start-ups and established companies with specific projects. It has supported and driven key projects in the region, including the regeneration of the Newcastle/Gateshead Quayside; investing 200 million in a Strategy for Success to promote new technologies, and led the regeneration of areas of once redundant industrial land, such as the 500 million Middlehaven project in Middlesbrough.
	Further information can be found in the corporate plan and annual reports, available at www.onenortheast.co.uk.

Nuclear Power

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the nuclear materials accountancy system at British Nuclear Fuels Thorp reprocessing plant at Sellafield is designed to track nuclear material on a real time basis.

Malcolm Wicks: Nuclear materials accountancy is used at UK nuclear sites to help meet statutory domestic regulations and international safeguards requirements. International safeguards requirements include the timely detection of diversion of civil nuclear material. This timeliness is a function of material type and form. Some nuclear installations therefore operate 'near real time materials accountancy' to meet this safeguards requirement. The Thorp chemical plant design included the application of statistical analysis techniques at regular intervals to its nuclear material accountancy data. This 'near real time materials accountancy' was not designed for process control and is distinct from systems for monitoring the safety and security at the plant.

Nuclear Power

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) polling and (b) focus groups on nuclear power his Department has undertaken in the last three years ;and if he will place copies of the results in the Library.

Malcolm Wicks: There has been no polling or focus groups on nuclear power since the publication of the Energy White Paper 2003.
	The following papers on keeping the nuclear option open (KNOO) were prepared for the DTI's Energy Advisory Panel and contributed to the work on the Energy White Paper:
	KNOO Scoping Paper (EAP 11.06.02P3)
	KNOO Summary Paper (EAP 01.10.02P3)
	KNOO Miniprojects
	These papers were placed in the Libraries of the House at the start for this year in response to a written parliamentary question from the then hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith) on 23 February 2005, Official Report, column 648W.

Timber

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans his Department has to fund the maintenance of the Central Point of Expertise on Timber.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 160W by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker).

Volunteering

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many volunteering positions his Department has offered in each of the last five years.

Alan Johnson: The Department does not record centrally all volunteering activities undertaken by its staff. However, the Department allows staff at least one day of paid leave a year to participate in voluntary opportunities. In recent years groups of staff have undertaken a range of volunteering challenges including 25 staff working on a project at a London adventure playground, 40 volunteers involved in an education and employment project, and this year 70 DTI staff members have worked on two other volunteering projects.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive to be implemented.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government intend to introduce to the House the regulations implementing the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive shortly.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a regulatory body will be put in place to ensure producers comply with the responsibilities of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive.

Malcolm Wicks: Compliance with the requirements of the waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations in England and Wales will primarily be monitored by the Environment Agency (England and Wales). In Scotland responsibility will be with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and in Northern Ireland it will be the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the producer responsibility element of the European directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment to be implemented.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government expect the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive's main producer responsibility obligations to come into force in June 2006.

Wind Farms

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research he has undertaken on the potential for large scale offshore wind farms.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 17 October 2005
	In 2003 the DTI, along with the Carbon Trust, published the findings of the Renewables Innovation Review, which looked at all areas of the renewables industry including offshore wind. A copy of the Renewables Innovation Review and supporting documentation can be found at http://www.dti.gov.uk/renewables/renew_2.1.4.htm.

PRIME MINISTER

Chechnya

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with President Putin on (a) human rights and (b) reports of disappearances in Chechnya; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Together with European Commission President Barroso, I discussed human rights with President Putin during the EU-Russia summit on 4 October. We also discussed the situation in the North Caucasus at some length. We underlined the need for human rights to be safeguarded in the fight against terrorism and discussed with President Putin prospects for the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Chechnya.

WALES

Welsh Language Act

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Departments of state have yet to comply with the Welsh Language Act 1993 in not having adopted a language scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Although Crown bodies are not required to have a Welsh language scheme, it is the Government's practice to comply with the principle that, in the conduct of public business in Wales, the Welsh and English languages should be treated on a basis of equality.
	Welsh Language Board data indicate that nine Government Departments currently have approved schemes. Two are actively preparing schemes (one of these is a replacement scheme following merger of departments). The Board has issued notifications to a further three departments, asking them to prepare a scheme.

Youth Crime

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has met the Secretary of State for the Home Department to discuss issues of youth crime in Wales.

Peter Hain: I keep close contact with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on all policing matters in Wales. The Government are supporting a wide-ranging programme to tackle youth offending and to prevent children being drawn into crime in the first place. This includes tackling deprivation and working with families and education services, along with on-going implementation of the 10-year anti-drugs strategy. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister recently announced a major new drive to increase the take-up of parenting contracts and orders, as part of our strategy for fostering respect in society.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Cultural Industries (South-West)

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the contribution of cultural industries to the economy in the south-west region.

David Lammy: The cultural industries make a significant contribution to the economy in the south-west. The South West Regional Development Agency estimates that creative sector employment accounts for around 4 per cent. of the regional workforce, and there are strong TV and film production, computer graphics and interactive media clusters in this area. I am confident that with continued help and support at national and regional level, the cultural industries will continue to be successful.

Licensing Act

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the implications for binge drinking of the changes proposed by the Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: We believe that the new licensing regime will allow a more responsible attitude to drinking to develop through removing the current arrangements which encourage people to drink as much as possible before last orders and create flashpoints for conflict through late night queuing for transport and fast food.
	The new Act will give the police and local authorities more effective, rapid and better targeted powers to tackle problem premises.

Licensing Act

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely health impact of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: Licensing reform is not primarily aimed at addressing health problems associated with alcoholthose are complex issues that are more appropriately being dealt with through the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and the measures set out in the Health White Paper. Nevertheless, we believe the Act will help us tackle the problems covered by irresponsible drinking including the effects on health. Our monitoring of the impact of the Act will include effects on heath.

Licensing Act

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what opportunities will be given to local organisations and residents to contest licence extensions or renewals under the new Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: The Licensing Act 2003 brings in new opportunities for residents, police and others to seek a review of a licence at any time that problems occur. This contrasts with the current regime whereby only 0.2 per cent. of alcohol licences are revoked and a court based renewal process that does not engage local people and is often intimidating.

BBC

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment the Department has made of the decision to open up 25 per cent. of BBC production to independent companies.

James Purnell: We will assess the BBC's proposals against the goal of delivering the best possible programmes for licence payers, and respond in the White Paper. We believe that goal will be met by balancing competition from independent producers with a supporting and thriving base of in-house production.

BBC

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what further initiatives the Government will take to promote ongoing public involvement with the BBC following the review of its charter.

Tessa Jowell: As explained in the Green Paper, we will establish a new BBC Trust which will embody the public interest and reflect the views of the licence fee payer. Part of the Trust's remit will be to ensure communication and consultation with licence fee payers through a rolling programme of quantitative and qualitative research, viewer forums and decision-making based on direct engagement with the public.

BBC

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost in real terms of the BBC licence fee has been in each of the last 30 years.

James Purnell: The value, as at April 2005 (the date of the latest licence fee increase), of the colour television licence fee for each of the last 30 years was:
	
		
		
			  Colour TV licence fee Value at April 2005 prices 
		
		
			 1975 18.00 105.39 
			 1976 18.00 88.63 
			 1977 21.00 86.52 
			 1978 25.00 92.93 
			 1979 34.00 108.15 
			 1980 34.00 98.53 
			 1981 46.00 112.84 
			 1982 46.00 108.74 
			 1983 46.00 104.56 
			 1984 46.00 99.45 
			 1985 58.00 117.28 
			 1986 58.00 113.80 
			 1987 60.00 112.92 
			 1988 62.50 113.19 
			 1989 66.00 110.62 
			 1990 71.00 108.77 
			 1991 77.00 110.88 
			 1992 80.00 110.40 
			 1993 83.00 113.13 
			 1994 84.50 112.30 
			 1995 86.50 111.24 
			 1996 89.50 112.41 
			 1997 91.50 112.18 
			 1998 97.50 114.86 
			 1999 101.00 117.16 
			 2000 104.00 117.10 
			 2001 109.00 120.66 
			 2002 112.00 122.08 
			 2003 116.00 122.61 
			 2004 121.00 124.87 
			 2005 126.50 126.50 
		
	
	Note:
	The upratings are based on the percentage changes in the all items Retail Prices Index from the month of the licence fee increase (or April of the relevant year in years where there was no increase) to April 2005.

BBC

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ensure future decisions on extending local BBC services are based on (a) public value and market impact tests, (b) the conclusions of Ofcom's review of local television services and (c) public consultation on the role for commercial media.

James Purnell: The Green Paper on BBC Charter Review makes clear that all new services and significant changes must be subject to public value and market impact assessments. Policy in this area will be set out in more detail in the forthcoming White Paper.

2012 Olympics

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to encourage regional development agencies to maximise the commercial benefits to the regions of hosting the 2012 Olympic games.

Richard Caborn: We will build on the excellent work carried out by the Nations and Regions Group during the bid phase. The Group will meet in November. We will continue to encourage the support and involvement of the RDAs.

2012 Olympics

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to undertake appraisals of the facilities in the south-east which may be used as part of hosting the 2012 Olympic games.

Tessa Jowell: London 2012 undertook a full appraisal of facilities required to stage the Olympics before the bid was submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The proposals reflect the IOC wishes for a compact and secure Olympics Games.
	I am delighted that Eton Dorney in the South East Region will host the Olympic rowing events in 2012.

2012 Olympics

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to involve East Anglia in the London Olympics.

Richard Caborn: There are a number of ways in which people across the UK can get involved in the Games, as suppliers, volunteers, participants or spectators. In addition, events such as the Olympic torch relay and the Cultural Festival will be UK wide.
	The Nations and Regions Group, will meet in November to discuss progress, and I am pleased to note the continued involvement of the Regional Development Agencies, the Regional Sports Boards and representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

2012 Olympics

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans there are to hold events in Northern Ireland as part of the 2012 Olympic games.

Richard Caborn: At present no Olympic or Paralympic sporting competition is planned to take place in Northern Ireland. If Northern Ireland builds its planned national stadium, we will consider incorporating this venue as a location for the Olympic football competition.
	However, the torch relay and other events as part of the cultural Olympiad are planned to take place in Northern Ireland to help ensure the people of Northern Ireland can be part of and share in the excitement of the 2012 games.

Art (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the role of art in economic regeneration, with particular reference to Crosby.

David Lammy: The Department has long been an advocate for the power of artand culture in generalto regenerate areas, not just economically, but socially and environmentally. And I applaud the wonderful work that Antony Gormley has created in Crosby with the Another Place installation, in the north-east with the Angel of the North and on a local level in areas such as the Bellenden Renewal Area in Peckham, South London.

Lottery Funds Distribution

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take action to reduce the unspent lottery balance.

Richard Caborn: We are already taking action and Lottery balances have been reduced by more than a third. We will continue working with distributors to make more progress.

Lottery Funds Distribution

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the process for the distribution of national lottery funds.

Richard Caborn: The distribution of Lottery money to the good causes is carried out in accordance with the provisions of Part II of the National Lottery etc Act 1993, as amended by the National Lottery Act 1998.
	Directions provide that Lottery funding must be accessible to all sections of the population and all areas of the country, especially those at risk of social exclusion. In order to ensure that Lottery money is allocated fairly and equitably, in the light of need across the whole of the United Kingdom and between different groups in society, distributors are required to show how they will achieve this in their strategic plans.

Art Galleries

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many art galleries in England are in receipt of funding from the Arts Council.

David Lammy: There are 295 art galleries in England that receive funding from Arts Council England (ACE).
	ACE directly funds 93 art galleries and 59 touring art galleries. It also funds 143 gallery spaces. These include museum galleries, independent galleries, artist studio galleries, new media spaces, live art photography and moving images galleries through its grants for the arts programme.

Departmental Staff

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rates of employee absence in her Department have been in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the figures contained in the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per staff year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based on. The most recent report for the calendar year 2003 was published on 1 November 2004, copies of which are available in the Library. This report and those for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_ civil_service/conditions_of_service/occupational_health/publications/index.asp

Digital Broadcasting

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she is taking to ensure that local and community radio has access to digital bandwidth for transmission.

James Purnell: The independent regulator, Ofcom, is responsible for planning frequencies for independent radio in the UK. Ofcom is the independent regulator for the communications sector, deriving its main powers and duties directly from statute rather than by delegation from the Secretary of State, and accountable to Parliament in its own right. Accordingly, my officials have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member and to send me a copy of his response. Copies of the chief executive's letter will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Digital Broadcasting

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures (a) her Department and (b) Ofcom is taking to promote take-up of digital (i) radio and (ii) television.

James Purnell: The information is as follows.
	(a) (i) The Government work with Ofcom and the industry to ensure that digital radio has the right conditions to be able to develop successfully.
	(ii) The Government are currently running a campaign, targeted towards consumers who do not yet have digital television, to help inform them of the benefits of digital television and why switchover is happening. To help make digital television options clear to consumers, the Government launched the digital switchover Certification Mark in 2004. It certifies information, goods and services that are designed to help consumers through switchover. This is helping to raise the awareness of digital switchover, and is now visible in retailers across the UK and also on TV and recording equipment of most leading brands.
	(b) Ofcom supports the overall planning for digital switchover through a mixture of research, analysis and policy initiatives. Ofcom is also committed to help drive digital switchover as it would ensure a more technically and economically efficient use of spectrum, encourage investment in new digital services and would promote competition in broadcasting, all of which are key responsibilities for Ofcom. Ofcom wholeheartedly supports the development of DAB digital radio.
	Additionally two independent not-for-profit organisations, the Digital Radio Development Bureau and Digital UK, have been set up to promote the take-up of digital radio and co-ordinate the UK's switch to digital television respectively.

Digital Broadcasting

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) people and (b) households in the (i) United Kingdom and (ii) Forest of Dean constituency receive analogue but cannot receive digital, television signals.

James Purnell: The vast majority of households in the UK can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via at least one of satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.
	We do not have a breakdown of coverage by constituency but the Government are committed to ensuring that at digital switchover everyone in the UK who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

Digital Broadcasting

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number and percentage of households in the (a) United Kingdom and (b) Forest of Dean constituency that can receive (i) publicly and (ii) commercially funded digital radio by means other than the internet.

James Purnell: Digital radio is carried across the UK on a number of platforms. We do not have precise estimates of the number and percentage of households who can receive digital radio in the form you have asked. However, the overwhelming majority of households in the UK can receive both publicly and commercially funded digital radio by platforms other than the internet. This would also be true for households in the Forest of Dean constituency.

Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list (a) heritage and (b) conservation sites in the constituency of Hemel Hempstead.

David Lammy: In the constituency of Hemel Hempstead, there are 495 buildings which are listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990,16 scheduled ancient monuments, three registered parks and gardens, and 11 conservation areas.
	I am arranging for English Heritage, the Secretary of State's statutory adviser on the historic environment, to provide the Libraries of both Houses with lists of these.

Historic Buildings (Suffolk)

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) listed buildings and (b) scheduled monuments are within 50 metres of the high water mark along the Suffolk coast.

David Lammy: There are five scheduled monuments, one of which is also a listed building, and a further 27 listed buildings within 50 metres of the high water mark, as defined by the Ordnance Survey Boundary Line data set, along the Suffolk coast.

Licensed Premises

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1276W, on licensed premises, if she will estimate (a) the number of licensed premises classified as pubs and (b) the number of licensed premises classified as pubs serving prepared food in England.

James Purnell: There is no distinction made in licensing law between public houses and other forms of premises licensed to sell alcohol. Of 105,595 establishments so licensed in England, my Department estimates that 58,000 are traditional public houses.
	In the November 2004 White paper, Choosing Health, the Department of Health estimated that between 10 per cent. and 30 per cent. of those 58,000 establishments serve prepared food. Extensive research on this subject over the summer by Action on Smoking and Health suggests that the true proportion is towards the upper end of that range.

Licensing Authorities

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what guidance has been provided to licensing authorities when considering whether to modify or add conditions to the operational schedule of a premise licence before it is granted;
	(2)  what guidance has been provided to licensing authorities on the criteria to be used in deciding whether to refuse to issue a licence rather than to modify or add conditions to the operational schedule of a premise licence.

James Purnell: Comprehensive statutory guidance in relation to the new licensing regime was issued to licensing authorities by my Department in July 2004. This included advice about applying conditions to a premises licence and examples of what might be appropriate.
	Local licensing authorities consider applications for premises licences on a case by case basis. Decisions about whether to refuse, accept or modify a licence will take into account representations from responsible authorities and interested parties. In this regard, the four licensing objectives (prevention of crime and disorder; prevention of public nuisance; public safety; and the protection of children from harm) are paramount considerations at all times. Conditions are applied to a licence where these safeguard the four licensing objectives.

Motorsports

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many motorsport projects have been financially supported by the Government through the Motorsport Unit since its inception; what total amount of Government assistance they have received; how many of these projects are in Gloucestershire; how much each project in Gloucestershire has received; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 21 October 2005
	As Secretary of State for Trade and Industry my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, West (Ms Hewitt) announced on 11 July 2003 a Government commitment of 16 million over five years to fund the recommendations of the Motorsport Competitiveness Panel.
	Motorsport Development UK (MDUK) is now taking forward those recommendations and has financially supported five projects, the spend on which is shown:
	
		
			 Project theme Spend to date () 
		
		
			 Motorsport Academy 364,898 
			 The Learning Grid 442,230 
			 Business Development 213,545 
			 Energy Efficient Motorsport 463,726 
			 Widening Participation 265,574 
			 Total project spend 1,749,973 
		
	
	All projects have a national significance to motorsport and therefore no breakdown by county is available.

Premier League (TV Rights)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what (a) financial assistance and (b) legal assistance, Ofcom has offered to the European Commission on deciding the structure of Premier League television broadcasting rights from season 200708 onwards.

James Purnell: The matter raised is the responsibility of Ofcom, as independent regulator. Accordingly, officials have asked the chief executive to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Premier League (TV Rights)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions Ofcom has had since 1 June 2004 with telecommunications regulatory bodies in other EU countries on the matter of football television broadcasting rights.

James Purnell: The matter raised is the responsibility of Ofcom, as independent regulator. Accordingly, officials have asked the chief executive to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Television Licences

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of households which did not have a television licence but had a television in each of the last five years for which records are available.

James Purnell: The estimated number of premises requiring a television licence but where no licence was in force, as at the end of March for each of the last five years, was:
	
		million
		
			  Estimated number of unlicensed premises 
		
		
			 2001 1.70 
			 2002 1.65 
			 2003 1.55 
			 2004 1.35 
			 2005 1.3

Television Licences

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in the Pudsey constituency are in receipt of the free television licence for over-75s.

James Purnell: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Pudsey constituency in 200405 was 5,705, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.

Television Signals

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of (a) people and (b) households in (i) Kettering constituency, (ii) Northamptonshire and (iii) England can receive analogue but not digital television signals.

James Purnell: holding answer 21 October 2005
	The vast majority of households in England can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via at least one of digital satellite, digital terrestrial or cable.
	We do not have a breakdown of coverage by constituency or county but the Government are committed to ensuring that at digital switchover everyone in the UK who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Registration

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what is the Electoral Commission's predicted drop in registration as a result of a switch to individual registration for each region of the UK.

Peter Viggers: Individual registration of voters was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2002. The commission has published a series of research reports analysing the impact of the change on registration rates there.
	The Electoral Commission has recommended the introduction of full individual registration in the remainder of the United Kingdom both on grounds of principle and to enhance public confidence in the arrangements for postal voting by reducing the scope for fraud in this area.
	The commission informs me that it has not undertaken any detailed research into the likely impact of the introduction of full individual registration in Great Britain on levels of voter registration. Such research, the commission advises, would involve making a number of speculative assumptions, and would thus be open to a significant margin of error.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  how much has been spent on the Afghan drugs eradication programme; and how many hectares of poppies have been eradicated;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the Afghan drugs eradication programme.

Kim Howells: The UK, as lead nation on counter narcotics (CN), is committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their eight pillar 2005 CN Implementation Plan and in updating their National Drug Control Strategy. The UK provides assistance across all eight pillars of the 2005 CN plan, which include building institutions, an information campaign, developing the rural economy and providing alternatives for poppy farmers, interdiction and law enforcement, criminal justice, eradication, demand reduction and the treatment of addicts, and regional cooperation.
	On 5 September, I announced new UK funding for Afghan CN in a joint press conference with Afghan CN Minister Qaderi. The UK is to provide more than 270 million over the next three years. 130 million of the funding will be provided by the Department for International Development with the rest coming from other Government Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. In this financial year, the UK is spending in the region of 100 million on all CN activity, 50 million of which is for alternative livelihoods. 6 million is for eradication activity.
	Eradication is one of the ways of inserting risk into the Afghan drugs industry. However, it needs to be balanced with wider measures to interrupt the drugs trade, to take action against the traffickers and to build up Afghan criminal justice capacity to deal with drugs offenders. The UK does not carry out any direct eradication but provides targeting, monitoring and financial support, bilaterally and through the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). We also provided financial support to the Afghan National Police (ANP) for eradication.
	Supported by the US, the Central Poppy Eradication Force (CPEF) and, more recently, the ANP and provincial governors have eradicated poppy this season. We understand that the final figures in the UNODC Survey for 2005 will confirm that while eradication by CPEF this year was disappointing (at around 200 hectares), eradication by governors and the ANP was more effective (around 4,800 hectares). The final UNODC survey is due to be published at any time.
	For further information on the counter narcotics programme in Afghanistan, I refer to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) on 6 June 2005, Official Report, columns 23435W. I intend to make a further statement to the House in the next month.

Afghanistan

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the head of the interdepartmental Afghan drugs unit has visited Afghanistan; and which provinces he has visited outside greater Kabul.

Kim Howells: The Afghan Drugs Inter-Departmental Unit (ADIDU) was established by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 1 February 2005. Based at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), it consists of 17 staff from the Department for International Development, the FCO, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence.
	ADIDU works closely with the British Embassy Drugs Team (BEDT) in Kabul which has 13 staff. While ADIDU sets the direction of policies and programmes to enable delivery, BEDT manages this delivery on the ground, liaising with the Afghan Government and international partners.
	Peter Holland (head, ADIDU) has visited Afghanistan twice since his appointment in February. He visited for one week in May 2005 and for two weeks in October 2005. In addition to time spent in Kabul, he has visited the provinces of Balkh and Farah.

Al-Qaeda Training Camps

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of al-Qaeda training camps in operation in overseas locations.

Kim Howells: We continue to monitor carefully the activities of the al Qaeda network. For reasons of security, we do not provide details of our work. However, it is well known, that al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan have been destroyed. We assess that concerted international pressure on al Qaeda has reduced its capability, but that the terrorist network continues to present a major threat to international security.

Azerbaijan

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will make representations to the Government of Azerbaijan on ensuring the parliamentary elections on 6 November are orderly, peaceful, free and fair.

Douglas Alexander: We continue to engage directly with the President and Government of Azerbaijan, the Central Election Commission, the main political parties and key non-governmental organisations on the need for parliamentary elections that meet international standards. We support the work on electoral integrity of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Council of Europe and, as EU presidency, have made regular representations on behalf of the EU.

Central America

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the priority his Department accords to diplomatic representation in central America.

Douglas Alexander: The December 2003 White Paper UK International Priorities: a strategy for the FCO (Cm 6052) set out the Government's international priorities for the next 10 years and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's strategy for delivering them. We currently have three embassies and one high commission in Central America helping to deliver that strategy in Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama. We also have an embassy in Mexico.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, dated (a) 16 June 2005, with regard to Mrs. Z. Khanum, (b) 13 June 2005, with regard to Mr. Abdul Rehman and (c) 8 July 2005, with regard to El Hadja Souley Manou.

Kim Howells: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office replied to my right hon. Friend's letters with regard to Mrs. Z Khanum, Mr. Abdul Rehman and El Hadja Souley Manou on 18 October.

Departmental Estate

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is responsible for running the Foreign and Commonwealth Office estate (a) in the UK and (b) abroad; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what the details are of his or her career to date.

Jack Straw: The head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Estates Strategy Unit that is principally responsible for running the FCO estate in the UK and abroad is Mr. Geoff Gillham. He is a qualified economist and spent six years in the private sector before joining the FCO. His immediate deputy is an experienced chartered surveyor: the majority of the unit they lead are qualified property or finance professionals. Mr. Gillham has served in a number of positions in London and, overseas, in New Delhi, Paris (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Madrid and Caracas.

ECHR

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by the Government since 1997 on defending cases at the European Court of Human Rights.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold comprehensive records of the sums spent defending each separate case, including counsel fees, travel and subsistence. These are borne by the lead Government Department, which is not usually the FCO.

Greek Cypriots (Compensation)

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations have taken place during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Union on settling disputes over land and financial compensation to Greek Cypriots following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Douglas Alexander: There have been no negotiations during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Union on this matter.
	The UN Secretary General's comprehensive settlement plan contained provisions for the return of, and compensation for, property. We continue to believe that the best way of resolving these difficult issues is as part of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement on the basis of the UN Secretary General's plan.

Israel

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Israeli security fence on the number of suicide bombings in Israel.

Kim Howells: holding answer 21 October 2005
	We have not made any recent specific assessment, but we believe that the barrier has helped reduce the number of suicide bombings in Israel. We fully recognise the Israeli Government's right to defend their citizens against terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, and we acknowledge that a barrier is a reasonable way to achieve this. But we call for the barrier to be built on or behind the green line. Building the barrier on occupied territory is contrary to international law.

Maldives

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of the Maldives about the trial of Mohamed Nasheed, Chairman of the Maldives Democratic party, and others, following the recent Lawrence report on the judicial process in the Maldives undertaken by the Bar Council.

Kim Howells: We welcome the efforts of Sir Ivan Lawrence QC and his colleagues. We continue to remind the Government of the Maldives of its human rights obligations. Soon after the arrest of Mohamed Nasheed, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Colombo, accredited to the Maldives, raised the arrests with the Maldivian Foreign Minister. The high commission, as presidency, led an EU fact-finding mission to the Maldives, which met Ministers, officials and Mohamed Nasheed. Following this, the EU issued a statement on 2 September 2005. It noted the seriousness of the charges, called for due process and made clear that the credibility of trials would be scrutinised closely. The British high commissioner called on President Gayoom on 26 September 2005. He emphasised the key messages of the EU statement and drew attention to the simultaneous visit of Sir Ivan Lawrence. We are, with EU partners, actively considering further action.

Palestine

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures the UK Government have taken as a state party to the fourth Geneva convention to fulfil its obligation to take measures to ensure compliance with the convention under the ruling of the International Court of Justice ruling of 9 July 2004, no. 131, legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Kim Howells: We supported United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES (Emergency Session) 10/15 which acknowledged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 on the legal consequences of the construction of the barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory. We agree with the broad conclusion of the ICJ, that building a barrier on parts of the current route is unlawful. We have discussed the way forward with EU partners and others, and we continue to urge Israel to comply with international law.

United Nations Day

Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which ways the UK Government plan to mark United Nations Day on 24 October.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and other Government Ministers will be attending a service at St. Paul's Cathedral on 24 October marking the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations. Senior staff from the UK Permanent Mission in New York will also be attending commemoration events hosted by the Secretary-General at the UN headquarters.
	In addition, as a strong and committed supporter of the United Nations, the Government have organised a series of events to mark its 60th anniversary. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary hosted a reception and gave a speech at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 27 June to mark the anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter. The Government also plan to mark the first meeting of the UN General Assembly at Westminster Central Hall on 10 January 1946.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

First-class Post

Andrew Selous: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will undertake an urgent investigation into the reasons that House of Commons franked first-class post regularly fails to reach hon. Members at any point during the day after posting.

Nick Harvey: There have been some teething problems with the interface between the new screening process and the mail service. The two contractors are working together to resolve these as quickly as possible.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Fraud

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent in each of the last five years for which figures are available to reduce benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The overall aim of the Department's anti-fraud strategy is to have a benefit system, which is secure from first claim to final payment. The implementation of this strategy means that an anti-fraud focus is integral to the work of all staff in the Department, as is dealing with the wider agenda of error and incorrectness in benefit payments. It is therefore not possible to account for the cost of anti-fraud work separately.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of carpal tunnel syndrome were granted compensation under industrial injuries legislation in each of the last five years, broken down by industry in which these cases arose.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		The number of carpal tunnel syndrome cases granted compensation under the industrial injuries legislation broken down by industry
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Agriculture, hunting and forestry  5   5 
			 Fishing  
			 Mining and quarrying  
			 Manufacturing 30 50 65 65 75 
			 Electricity, gas and water supply   5 10 5 
			 Construction 15 20 30 25 25 
			 Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and  personal and household goods 5 5 5 10 10 
			 Hotels and restaurants business services and leasing  
			 Transport, storage and communication 5  5 5  
			 Financial intermediation  
			 Real estate, renting and business activities 5 10 10 5  
			 Public administration and defence; compulsory social security 5 5 10 10  
			 Education   5 5  
			 Health and social work 5 5 5 5  
			 Other community, social and personal activities 5 10 5 5  
			 Private households with employed persons  
			 Extra-territorial organisations and bodies  
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The year ending figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 to ensure anonymity.
	2. Figures are based on a 100 per cent. count.
	3. Figures for 2004 are provisional, as they have not yet been finalised.
	Source:
	Clerical returns from Disablement Benefit Offices

Marginal Deduction Rates

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the value of passported benefits is taken into account when figures on marginal deduction rates are produced.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	Marginal deduction rates are calculated by combining figures for marginal tax rates, national insurance rates, tax credit taper rates, and benefit withdrawal rates. The concept of a marginal deduction rate is less meaningful when applied to passported benefits since they are all or nothing benefits that are not tapered with income.

Pension Credit

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency (a) received state pension, (b) applied for pension credit and (c) received pension credit in each of the last three years; and what the average pension credit payment was in each year.

Stephen Timms: The June Pension Credit figures, which are available in the Library, show that 5,280 households (6,440 individuals) in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk were in receipt of pension credit, with an average award of 35.80. Earlier figures for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk and other newly created constituencies are not available. Information on the number of people who have applied for or are eligible for pension credit is not available in respect of individual constituencies.
	Notes:
	1. Numbers of households and individuals are rounded to the nearest five. 2. Individuals comprise claimants and partners and may contain a small number of partners aged under 60. 3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS directory.

Pension Service

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls made to the Pension Service have (a) met an engaged tone, (b) been received and (c) been handled by an adviser in the last 24 months, broken down by call centre.

Stephen Timms: The administration of The Pension Service is a matter for the Chief Executive, Ms Alexis Cleveland. She will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. David Laws, dated 24 October 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning how many calls made to The Pension Service have (a) met an engaged tone (b) been received and (c) been handled by an adviser in the last 24 months broken down by call centre. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of The Pension Service.
	For the period August 2003 to August 2005, in excess of 27 million calls were received by Regional Pension Centres/Pension Credit Application Line and over 25 million were answered by agents, equating to 91.2 per cent. of total calls received.
	Of the 27 million calls received only 337,306 (1.2 per cent.) were blocked (attempted calls receiving an engaged tone or message during this period).
	The table below shows the number of calls received, answered and blocked for the period August 2003 to August 2005 for all Regional Pension Centres and the Pension Credit Application Line:
	
		
			 Breakdown by Pension Centre Total calls (b) Attempted calls receiving an engaged tone or message (a) Calls answered (c) 
		
		
			 Bath 1,127,452 3,363 1,067,063 
			 Birmingham 882,656 14,698 815,541 
			 Blackpool 438,384 942 389,772 
			 Burnley 910,434 39,897 802,491 
			 Cwmbran 668,684 127 614,560 
			 Bourne Valley 1,030,207 2,831 893,606 
			 Derby 472,655 13,762 426,837 
			 Dundee 1,509,164 18,039 1,439,201 
			 Leicester 649,794 164 601,002 
			 Liverpool 380,679 8,921 341,010 
			 London Pension Centre (Glasgow) 471,114 136 436,518 
			 London Pension Centre (Newcastle) 1,140,790 64,402 1,101,948 
			 Motherwell 1,284,055 3,074 1,174,722 
			 Norwich Baltic 571,533 2,135 499,895 
			 Norwich Kingfisher 791,775 494 697,690 
			 Nottingham 536,304 4,778 462,727 
			 Pension Credit Application Line 5,453,721 64 5,083,456 
			 Plymouth 584,468 6,906 587,064 
			 Seaham 865,587 34,670 791,625 
			 Stockport 1,380,127 9,547 1,217,641 
			 Stockton 680,792 16,679 627,120 
			 Swansea 1,646,814 24,317 1,487,042 
			 Walsall 601,880 1,754 548,437 
			 Warrington 1,234,200 17,891 1,105,124 
			 Wolverhampton 761,150 3,280 700,351 
			 Wrexham 844,788 1,121 761,644 
			 York 514,494 3,317, 448,608 
			 Total 27,671,340 337,306 25,226,101

Poverty

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) children and (b) pensioners were living in poverty in (i) Walsall borough and (ii) Walsall North constituency in (A) 1997 and (B) 2005.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The information requested is not available below regional level. The latest information for the West Midlands is shown in the following table.
	
		Numbers of children and pensioners living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of median income in the West Midlands -- million
		
			  199697 200304 
		
		
			 Children:   
			 Before housing costs 0.4 0.3 
			 After housing costs 0.4 0.4 
			
			 Pensioners:   
			 Before housing costs 0.2 0.2 
			 After housing costs 0.3 0.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The estimates use the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (BHAI) series which uses disposable household income, adjusted for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.
	2. It is not possible to present estimates from the FRS below Government Office Region level due to small sample sizes, and the survey design not being fully representative at this level.
	3. Estimates are based on sample counts which have been adjusted for non-response.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey (FRS)

Public Sector Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what is his latest estimate of the total value of unfunded liabilities of public sector pension schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 306W to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond).

Public Sector Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to put public sector pension schemes on a funded basis; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	There are no plans to fund unfunded public service pension schemes. The employer and employee contributions levied for unfunded schemes are set to cover the accruing long term liability to pay the pensions of scheme members; these contributions are not paid into a fund.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Cycle Allowance

Tom Brake: To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members claimed the cycle allowance in the last period for which figures are available; and how much each of the 10 highest claimers claimed.

Geoff Hoon: Eleven Members claimed a total of 888.62 in bicycle allowances in financial year 200405. The amounts claimed by each of the top 10 highest claimers were as follows:
	250.00
	242.80
	175.26
	81.60
	36.00
	34.96
	22.88
	18.40
	12.80
	12.32.

Scottish Legislation (Scrutiny)

David Mundell: To ask the Leader of the House how much parliamentary time was spent scrutinising Scottish legislation between 1993 and 1999, broken down by legislative stage.

Geoff Hoon: Information is only readily available for Bills certified by the Speaker as relating exclusively to Scotland, or ordered to be proceeded with as if they had been so certified. The figures are on a sessional (rather than calendar year) basis, and exclude time spent in Standing or Grand Committees. For Sessions 199293 to 19992000, the time taken on the floor of the House for such Bills is as follows:
	
		
			 Session Second Reading Committee of the whole House Consideration Third Reading Lords Amendments 
		
		
			 199293 7hrs 45mins  6hrs 3lmins 52mins 22mins 
			 199394 6hrs 58mins  12hrs 6mins 3hrs 26mins 5hrs 37mins 
			 199495 5hrs 54mins  10hrs 50mins 35mins  
			 199596 7hrs 5mins  5hrs 36mins 34mins  
			 199697 6hrs 55mins 8mins 6hrs 29mins 1hr 1min  
			 199798  
			 199899 4hrs 32mins  2hrs 14mins 1hr  
			 19992000

Written Questions

Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House if he will introduce proposals to allow tabling and answer of written parliamentary questions during the summer recess.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Derbyshire (Mr. McLoughlin) on 18 October 2005, Official Report, column 882W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Air Weapons

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many air weapon offences have been committed in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The Chief Constable has supplied the following table of statistics.
	
		Offences recorded by the police where an air gun was involved in the incident(16)
		
			  Overall crime 
			 District command unit 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Antrim 3 3 5 8 
			 Ards 7 12 16 16 
			 Armagh 0 2 0 2 
			 Banbridge 2 1 1 5 
			 East Belfast 12 4 10 11 
			 North Belfast 4 3 7 12 
			 South Belfast 1 5 3 1 
			 West Belfast 8 3 42 21 
			 Ballymena 10 2 1 2 
			 Ballymoney 1 0 0 1 
			 Carrickfergus 9 2 18 19 
			 Coleraine 2 3 8 18 
			 Cookstown 1 0 3 1 
			 Craigavon 10 3 6 31 
			 Castlereagh 18 4 5 2 
			 Dungannon and South  Tyrone 1 1 4 1 
			 Down 4 1 7 14 
			 Fermanagh 2 2 0 1 
			 Foyle 1 0 1 13 
			 Larne 10 0 4 19 
			 Limavady 1 1 9 16 
			 Lisburn 10 5 1 5 
			 Magherafelt 2 1 0 3 
			 Moyle 0 0 1 1 
			 Newtownabbey 2 12 17 26 
			 North Down 5 3 5 10 
			 Newry and Mourne 14 11 6 13 
			 Omagh 2 3 3 9 
			 Strabane 0 3 3 2 
			  
			 Northern Ireland 142 90 186 283 
		
	
	(16) These figures relate to offences where an air gun was involved in the incidentit is not known how the air gun was actually used.
	Note:
	PSNI record figures related to the number of crimes where an air gun has been used in the incident. Included within the air gun category are air pistol, air rifle, air gun, and ball bearing gun.
	Source:
	Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Avian Influenza

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent guidance has been issued to poultry owners in Northern Ireland in relation to Avian influenza; and what discussions he has had with the Ulster Farmers Union about such guidance.

Angela Smith: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland re-issued guidance to poultry producers in late August 2005 on the biosecurity precautions poultry owners should take to minimise the introduction of disease. Following publication of an Avian influenza risk assessment in early September 2005, the Department issued a statement providing an update on the steps it has taken to address the risk of Avian influenza entering Northern Ireland. Further revised guidance has been placed on the DARD website on 19 October 2005 and this will be disseminated to the poultry industry and will be reviewed and updated as appropriate. A series of meetings with stakeholders has been held since December 2004 to provide guidance and exchange information between Government and key industry representative bodies. The Ulster Farmers' Union have been involved in all relevant meetings to date.

Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment for cancer of the brain in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on waiting times for cancer treatment is not collected centrally.

Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of women referred urgently in the last 12 months by their general practitioner with suspected breast cancer were seen by a consultant in the Province within two weeks.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not currently available due to data quality issues. The data collection system is to be reviewed.
	I refer the hon. Member to an audit of Breast Cancer Services in Northern Ireland produced by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, which is found at:
	http://www.qub.ac.uk/nicr/pdf/publications/audit_breast.pdf
	The audit reported that for patients diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2001, the majority (69 per cent.) of patients were seen within two weeks of being referred by their GP.

Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment of prostate cancer in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on waiting times for the treatment of prostate cancer is not collected centrally.
	I refer the hon. Lady to an audit of Prostate Cancer Services in Northern Ireland produced by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry which is found at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/nicr/pdf/publications/audit_prostate.pdf
	A table containing a summary of waiting times experienced by prostate cancer patients can be found on page 17.

Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many surgeons at each hospital in the Province carried out more than 50 prostate operations in the last year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of operations carried out in Northern Ireland is available from the Hospital Inpatient System, however details of individual surgeons undertaking the operations are not collected.
	The table shows the hospitals in Northern Ireland where the number of prostate operations carried out in 200405 (the latest year for which data is available) exceeded 50. It should be noted that more than one surgeon could be responsible for undertaking prostate operations at any one of these hospitals.
	
		
			 Hospital Number of prostate operations 
		
		
			 Belfast City 535 
			 Ards 86 
			 Ulster 103 
			 Mater 129 
			 Downe 84 
			 Causeway 168 
			 Antrim 100 
			 Craigavon 88 
			 Altnagelvin 292 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Inpatient System

Cars

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cars were registered in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years.

Angela Smith: The number of cars registered in Northern Ireland in each year of the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1994 76,529 
			 1995 81,410 
			 1996 87,614 
			 1997 93,870 
			 1998 100,947 
			 1999 99,490 
			 2000 95,018 
			 2001 98,789 
			 2002 93,866 
			 2003 97,374 
			 2004 96,058

Cervical Screening

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when liquid-based cervical cytology screening will be introduced in the Province.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1221W.

Child Support Agency Management Board

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the breakdown of the Child Support Agency Management Board in Northern Ireland by religious background.

David Hanson: Information on community background of staff in the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland is contained in the Eighth Report of the Equal Opportunities Unit of the Department of Finance and Personnel but is not disaggregated at this level. Copies of the report are available in the House of Commons Library.

Clinical Academics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many clinical academics taught medical students in the Province in the last year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The last full academic year for which figures are available is 200405. In that year, there were 64 clinical academics involved in teaching medical students.

Cold Case Reviews

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there have been any changes to (a) the remit, (b) the terms and conditions of the investigating officers and (c) the manner and conduct of the investigation in the cold case reviews undertaken by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: My right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Murphy), announced in March 2005 the provision of additional funds to the Chief Constable to enable him to set up a new unit within PSNI to review the unresolved deaths due to the security situation between 1969 and 1998.
	I have been advised by the PSNI that since then there have been no changes to (a) the remit of the historical inquiry team which is currently being established to undertake this review, (b) the terms and conditions of the investigating officers and (c) the manner and conduct of the investigations to be undertaken by this team.
	The work of the historical inquiry team is due to formally commence early in the new year and it remains the case that the key aims of the team are to achieve, where possible, closure for the families of victims either by judicial or non-judicial means, in a way that commands the confidence of the wider community.

Contaminated Land

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of (a) the value and (b) the acreage of contaminated land in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department of the Environment does not hold estimates of either the area or value of contaminated land in Northern Ireland. The Department of the Environment's land use database has identified locations where former land use may have caused contamination. It does not however, quantify the areas of land involved.

Cyclists (Prosecutions)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prosecutions have been brought against cyclists for cycling on pavements in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by Police Service of Northern Ireland district.

Shaun Woodward: The latest court proceedings data for calendar years 1999 to 2003 (the latter being the most up-to-date data presently available) confirm that there were no prosecutions for 'riding a pedal cycle on a footpath'.

Dentistry

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in the Province were registered with a dentist in 1997.

Shaun Woodward: Information requested is provided in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Children registered with an NHS Dentist,  June 1997(17)(5508210018) 285,960 
		
	
	(17) Figures are derived from dental registration data.
	(18) Figures for registered patients include a small proportion who may reside temporarily elsewhere in the UK.

Disabled Drivers

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what powers (a) the police and (b) local authorities have to deal with the improper use of disabled parking bays by able-bodied drivers;
	(2)  how many people were fined for offences directly relating to the improper use of (a) disabled vehicle stickers and (b) disabled parking spaces in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: Police and traffic wardens are able to enforce violations of on-street disabled parking by advice and warning or the issue of a fixed penalty notice. The following table provides the number of fines issued by police and traffic wardens for on-street disabled parking offences in each of the last three years:
	
		
			  Type of offence 
			  Parking in a disabled person's parking space Wrongful use of a disabled person's badge 
		
		
			 2002 2,002 8 
			 2003 2,341 6 
			 2004 2,331 13 
		
	
	Responsibility for the enforcement of off-street disabled parking spaces in public car parks rests with the Department of Regional Development's (DRD) Roads Service.
	There is not a major difficulty with the misuse of off-street disabled parking spaces and Roads Service have not had to make any prosecutions against offenders in the last three years.

Doctors' Salaries

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was spent by each health board on salaries for doctors (a) on suspension and (b) absent on special leave in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Education and Library Boards

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the overall deficit of each education and library board in Northern Ireland is for the year 200506.

Angela Smith: In common with all public bodies, the five Education and Library Boards are required to live within the allocations voted by Parliament. The final 200506 position will not be known until after the year end, once the 200506 Accounts are received. However, the Department expects all Boards to remain within budget this year. Two Boards (the Belfast and South Eastern Education and Library Boards) breached their budget allocations in the last two years and their deficits currently amount cumulatively to 31.2 million.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what obligations there are on hospital staff in Northern Ireland who are involved in electroconvulsive therapy procedures to understand the calibration settings of ECT machines.

Shaun Woodward: Clinical staff, using an ECT machine to provide electro-convulsive therapy, are trained by an appropriately experienced consultant psychiatrist and subsequently use ECT machines only when deemed competent to do so by the consultant psychiatrist.

Freedom of Information

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many requests have been received under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by each Government Department in the Province.

Angela Smith: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister publishes statistics on the performance of the 11 Northern Ireland Departments on a quarterly basis. Similarly, figures for the Northern Ireland Office are included in the Department for Constitutional Affairs quarterly update for Whitehall Departments. The total number of requests received by each Department between 1 January 2005 and 30 June 2005 are set out in the following table. Figures for the third quarter, 1 July 2005 to 30 September 2005, should be available towards the end of the year.
	
		
			 Department Number of requests received(19) 
		
		
			 Agriculture and Rural Development 131 
			 Culture, Arts and Leisure (20)548 
			 Education 75 
			 Employment and Learning 50 
			 Enterprise, Trade and Investment 35 
			 Finance and Personnel 212 
			 Health, Social Services and Public Safety 65 
			 Environment 419 
			 Regional Development 208 
			 Social Development 86 
			 Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 48 
			 Northern Ireland Office 110 
		
	
	(19) Figures include requests made under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
	(20) DCAL figure includes requests made to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Freedom of Information

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the costs which have resulted from requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not collected routinely and could be obtained at only disproportionate cost.

G8 Summit (Scotland)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland were assigned to operational duties relating to the recent G8 summit in Scotland.

Shaun Woodward: Three officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland provided assistance by performing operational planning duty. A further two officers attended as observers.

GPs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vacancies for general practitioners there are in the Province.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available.

Harbour Investment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has invested in (a) Portavogie Harbour, (b) Kilkeel Harbour and (c) Ardglass Harbour in each of the past three years.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority is the non-departmental public body that has responsibility for the improvement, management and maintenance of the three Northern Ireland fishery harbours at Portavogie, Kilkeel and Ardglass.
	Capital development projects at the three harbours (ie projects which relate to development rather than routine maintenance) have been funded at a rate of 100 per cent. through the authority by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development under the Structural Funds programme 'Building Sustainable Prosperity' (BSP) and the Re-investment and Reform Initiative (RRI).
	The total amounts invested by way of awards of grant aid in (a) Portavogie Harbour, (b) Kilkeel Harbour, and (c) Ardglass Harbour in each of the past three years are as set out in the following table.
	
		
		
			 Harbour BSP RRI 
		
		
			 Portavogie   
			 200203 100,675.26  
			 200304   
			 200405 796,415  
			
			 Kilkeel   
			 200203 284,104.24 4,086,047 
			 200304   
			 200405 1,182,063  
			
			 Ardglass   
			 200203 148,882.04  
			 200304   
			 200405   
			
			 Composite award (all three ports) 
			 200203   
			 200304   
			 200405 26,921  
			 Total 2,539,060.54 4,086,047

Health Service Managers

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) managers and (b) senior managers there are within the health service in the Province.

Shaun Woodward: Figures showing the number of manager/senior manager staff working in the HPSS are detailed in the following table. The number of manager/senior manager staff are a sub-set of the administration and clerical terms and condition group. It was not possible to provide a specific split between the manager and senior manager grades due to the complexity of administration ad clerical grades and more specifically the lack of an agreed definition for manager and senior manager posts.
	
		Number of managers/senior managers employed within the NI HPSS as at March 2005
		
			  Managers/senior managers 
		
		
			 Headcount 2,402 
			 Whole-time equivalent 2,334.42 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures quoted for manager/senior manager include senior executives and board members. These figures exclude administration and clerical staff that may have lower level supervisory duties.
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Health Service Managers

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) managers and (b) senior managers there were in the health service in the Province in 1997.

Shaun Woodward: Figures showing the number of manager/senior manager staff working in the HPSS are detailed in the following table. The number of manager/senior manager staff are a sub-set of the administration and clerical terms and condition group. It was not possible to provide a specific split between the manager and senior manager grades due to the complexity of administration and clerical grades and more specifically the lack of an agreed definition for manager and senior manager posts.
	
		Number of managers/senior managers employed within the NI HPSS as at March 1997
		
			  Manager/senior manager 
		
		
			 Headcount 1,211 
			 Whole-time equivalent 1,191.4 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures quoted for manager/senior manager include senior executives and board members. These figures exclude administration and clerical staff that may have lower level supervisory duties.
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Homelessness

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were deemed homeless under the homeless legislation in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: During the last three financial years (1 April to 31 March each year) the information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200203 8,580 
			 200304 8,594 
			 200405 8,470

Hospital Consultants

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent hospital consultants in the Province since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Percentage increase in whole-time equivalent (WTE) hospital consultants employed within the NI HPSS between March 1997 and March 2005
		
			  Hospital consultants 
		
		
			 March 1997 601.1 
			 March 2005 909.6 
			 Percentage change 51.3 
		
	
	Note:
	Consultant figures include medical and dental consultants.
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Household Waste (Recycling)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of household waste each council in Northern Ireland recycled in the last period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The following table provides details of household recycling rates as a percentage of household waste for 200405:
	
		Table 1: Household recycling rates for 200405
		
			   District Council Household waste recycled as a percentage of total household waste for 200405 
		
		
			 Antrim Borough Council 38.4 
			 Ards Borough Council 20.4 
			 Armagh City And District Council 23.3 
			 Ballymena Borough Council 23.4 
			 Ballymoney Borough Council 24.0 
			 Banbridge District Council 39.2 
			 Belfast City Council 8.9 
			 Carrickfergus Borough Council 17.2 
			 Castlereagh Borough Council 22.2 
			 Coleraine Borough Council 18.6 
			 Cookstown District Council 20.1 
			 Craigavon Borough Council 23.3 
			 Derry City Council 13.7 
			 Down District Council 19.2 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council 20.1 
			 Fermanagh District Council 21.0 
			 Larne Borough Council 16.5 
			 Limavady Borough Council 27.3 
			 Lisburn City Council 12.3 
			 Magherafelt District Council 31.4 
			 Moyle District Council 11.3 
			 Newry and Mourne District Council 20.0 
			 Newtownabbey Borough Council 19.9 
			 North Down Borough Council 17.2 
			 Omagh District Council 19.6 
			 Strabane District Council 17.3 
			   
			 Northern Ireland 18.9

Housing Waiting Lists

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were on the waiting list for a housing transfer in each housing executive district in Northern Ireland as of 1 October 2005; and how many of these people have been waiting (a) less than one month, (b) two to six months, (c) six to 12 months, (d) 12 to 18 months and (e) longer than 18 months.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows.
	
		Numbers of transfer applicants the Housing Executive waiting list by district office and length of time on the list at 1 October 2005
		
			  1 month 1 and 2 month 2 and 6 month 6 and 12 month 12 and 18 month 18 month or more Total 
		
		
			 Antrim 2 15 48 42 27 103 237 
			 Armagh  4 23 30 16 65 138 
			 Ballycastle   13 11 9 35 68 
			 Ballymena 10 25 67 50 48 163 363 
			 Ballymoney  5 17 13 14 54 103 
			 Banbridge 3 6 24 19 14 77 143 
			 Bangor 2 12 62 61 43 188 368 
			 Belfast 1 5 17 54 42 34 185 337 
			 Belfast 2 4 31 82 92 51 301 561 
			 Belfast 3 3 17 55 77 58 199 409 
			 Belfast 4 2 15 69 55 77 188 406 
			 Belfast 5 7 17 83 76 56 251 490 
			 Belfast 6 6 20 78 107 80 205 496 
			 Belfast 7 5 19 84 87 65 286 546 
			 Carrickfergus 2 8 37 40 28 102 217 
			 Castlereagh 6 24 58 58 32 186 364 
			 Coleraine 1 16 60 52 45 151 325 
			 Collon Terrace 5 7 51 69 49 171 352 
			 Cookstown   9 13 10 27 59 
			 Downpatrick 3 12 50 39 30 130 264 
			 Dungannon  7 21 37 20 66 151 
			 Fermanagh  7 33 42 21 98 201 
			 Larne 2 6 36 28 13 67 152 
			 Limavady 2 5 22 14 12 34 89 
			 Lisburn Antrim
			 Street 7 21 95 83 42 211 459 
			 Lisburn
			 Dairyfarm 4 18 55 51 28 71 227 
			 Lurgan/Brownlow 4 11 40 51 24 97 227 
			 Magherafelt 2 10 26 33 19 79 169 
			 Newry 1 13 52 41 36 129 272 
			 Newtownabbey 1 1 15 41 45 45 138 285 
			 Newtownabbey 2 1 6 38 40 17 83 185 
			 Newtownards 1 20 74 66 59 214 434 
			 Omagh 1 7 20 25 12 73 138 
			 Portadown 1 5 17 9 14 46 92 
			 +Strabane 3 11 49 56 37 94 250 
			 Waterloo Place 3 10 39 57 41 168 318 
			 Waterside 1 14 33 50 17 73 188 
			 
			 Total 100 456 1,715 1,761 1,243 4,808 10,083

Identification Parades

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many identification parades have taken place in each Police Service of Northern Ireland district command in Northern Ireland in the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the table. All identification parades in Northern Ireland take place at the identification suite at Donegall Pass. The figures provided show the number of identification parades conducted for each District Command Unit (DCU) for the period in question.
	
		
			 DCU 2002 2003 2004 2005 to date 
		
		
			 North Belfast 34 25 55 106 
			 East Belfast 19 18 35 17 
			 West Belfast 41 37 46 26 
			 South Belfast 79 54 64 79 
			 Castlereagh 11 4 13 12 
			 Newtownabbey 11 30 25 51 
			 Carrickfergus 6 1 2 2 
			 Larne 2 2 7 1 
			 Antrim 6 13 8 18 
			 Ballymena 8 20 11 23 
			 Moyle 1 4 4 0 
			 Ballymoney 1 0 3 2 
			 Coleraine 18 15 8 21 
			 Limavady 6 4 5 7 
			 Magherafelt 1 14 7 1 
			 Foyle 27 20 17 19 
			 Strabane 4 10 6 2 
			 Cookstown 5 8 16 8 
			 Omagh 25 6 12 8 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 15 1 9 12 
			 Fermanagh 11 19 17 6 
			 Armagh 9 4 2 2 
			 Craigavon 4 11 13 21 
			 Newry and Mourne 8 14 8 5 
			 Banbridge 5 5 11 7 
			 Down 20 16 51 7 
			 Lisburn 29 35 67 58 
			 Ards 12 21 15 4 
			 North Down 7 13 21 9

Identification Parades

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in how many cases an identification parade has been the evidence on which a prosecution has been taken to court in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is not available.

Illegal Motor Fuel

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many roadside tests were carried out on motor vehicles to test for illegal petrol and diesel in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years in (a) urban and (b) rural regions.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The total number of roadside challenges of motor vehicles by HM Revenue and Customs for tests on the fuel being used is just one element of an integrated antifraud strategy on oils. The figures requested are contained in the table.
	These figures only relate to challenges made by H.M. Revenue and Customs (ex HM Customs and Excise) and do not include any challenges made by other enforcement agencies, which may have included a sight test of the vehicles fuel as part of their checks.
	
		
			  Challenges 
		
		
			 19992000 1,355 
			 200001 5,736 
			 200102 1,589 
			 200203 4,077 
			 200304 13,144 
		
	
	It is not possible to split this into urban or rural regions, as these data were not recorded.

Infant Schools

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average infant school class size has been in each year since 1998; and what the total number of infant school pupils was in each year.

Angela Smith: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of year 1year 4 pupils Average class size for year 1year 4 pupils (21) 
		
		
			 199899 99,839 23.6 
			 19992000 97,789 23.3 
			 200001 95,195 23.2 
			 200102 94,815 23.0 
			 200203 93,980 22.9 
			 200304 93,377 22.8 
			 200405 92,406 22.8 
		
	
	(21) Any composite class with pupils in years 5, 6 or 7 has been excluded.

Legal Gun Dealers/Clubs

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many legal gun dealers there are in Northern Ireland; and if he will list them.

Shaun Woodward: The following information has been supplied by the PSNI.
	There are 132 gun dealers listed on our records.
	Firearms Dealers
	Business Name
	A Blue Ltd.
	A C J Engineering
	A. J. S. Repairs
	Ace Products (Belfast) Ltd.
	Agnew, J.A  Co
	Air Tec
	Anderson, C.A.  Co
	Ashley Gun Sales  Repairs
	Bailie, E
	Ballycarrickmaddy Shooting School
	Beattie, T  Son
	Bloomfield Guns  Tackle
	Boston Outdoor Sports
	Braddell, Joseph  Son Ltd.
	Brown, S.W.
	Burke, H  Sons Ltd.
	C C Shooting Supplies
	C F Beattie  Son (F'arm  Amm)
	Cahoon Brothers
	Carlisle, R  R
	Carlisle, T. J.
	Carson, R. J. K.
	Cassells, E.J.  Son
	Coburn, J Son Ltd.
	Conway Bros. (Vision) Ltd.
	Coote's (Builders Merchants) Ltd.
	Costcutters
	Cottage Guns  Tackle
	Country Sports
	Country Sports  Tackle
	Craig, B Co. Ltd.
	Crawford, R  Co.
	Daly's, M
	Dennett Game Services
	Derry Gonnelly Autos
	Devlin Countryside Supplies
	Dickson, J.J.
	Divers Guns  Tackle
	Dowler, F. Ltd.
	Dunhill Sports Supplies
	Fernvale Country Sports
	Field  Stream
	Firearms Unlimited
	Firefly
	Fyffe, W. D.
	Glass, T. R. G.
	Graham, J.  Sons
	Graham, R  Sons
	Greer, T  Son
	Groggan Guns  Country Store
	Guns  Tackle
	Harkin, K. G.
	Harpur, N. C.
	Holden Agricultural Ltd.
	Hollow Farm Shooting Grounds
	Home, Field  Stream
	Houston's Country Gear
	Hughes, M.T.
	Hutchinson's
	Irwin, S. D.
	Johnston, S
	Jones, W.
	Kyle, P. E.
	Kyle, W. J. Hardware
	Lakeview Guns  Tackle
	Lawrence, J.A.
	Leisure  Tackle
	Limavady Hardware Co.
	Lock, Stock  Barrel
	Lough Shore Shooting Supplies
	Lough, Stock  Barrel
	Loughview Guns  Ammo
	Lutton, A
	Lutton's Gun Repairs
	Magowan, R
	Martin, T. M.  Son
	Maryland Country Sports
	Maurice Allen Chainsaws
	Mawhinney, D
	Mcclimond, T
	Mcconnell (Equipment) Ltd.
	Mckendry, R
	Mckeown, E.J.M. (Agric.  Build. Merchant)
	McKerr Fieldsports
	McVey Brothers
	Melvin Tackle
	Mid Ulster Industries
	Millar, Desmond  Son
	Monteith, A. A.  Sons
	Moyallen Countryman
	MPL Guns  Ammo
	Mullen's Pet  Shooting Supplies
	Murphy, W.M.
	Murphy, J
	Nelson's Sports Centre
	Nicholas, C. J.  Sons
	North Antrim Game Services
	O'Neill's Country Sports
	Orchard Guns
	Palmer, D. H.
	Palmer, R.
	R R Motorcycles  Marine
	R. F. D. Ltd.
	Rankin, Joseph
	Riverdale Sports
	Robin Minnis Sports
	Rod  Gun
	Rod 'N' Line
	Sammy's Shooting Supplies
	Scott, T. J.
	Sinclair, J. N.  Sons
	Smyth, J.C. Sports Spec.'s
	Smyth's Country Sports
	Somerville, R.W.
	Sports Goods  Footwear
	Stewart  Gibson Ltd.
	Stewart  James
	Stinson The Saddler
	Stringer, W
	Tannyoky Guns  Ammo
	Thales Air Defence Ltd.
	The Belfast Firearms Company
	The Countryman
	The Gunshop
	The Trading Post
	Trap  Field Sports
	Trap  Tackle
	Valley Leisure  Rural Supplies
	Walther Ireland
	Willis Hardware  Trailers
	Workman Hardware
	Young Guns

Legal Gun Dealers/Clubs

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list legal (a) gun clubs and (b) ranges in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The following information has been supplied by the PSNI.
	There are 55 authorised gun clubs and 39 authorised ranges in Northern Ireland. These are listed as follows. Where ranges comprise more than one firing range, this is identified in the table.
	Authorised Clubs (at 19 October 2005)
	Area 17 Air Pistol Club
	Ballymena Rifle  Pistol Club
	Bangor  District Small Bore Rifle Club
	Bangor Gram. Sch. Com. Cadet Force Air Rifle Club
	Belfast Harbour Police Rifle Club
	Belfast Home Guard Rifle Club
	Belfast Royal Academy Rifle Club2390 Squadron ATC
	Braken Projectile Club
	Bready Air Rifle Club
	Campbell College, C.C.F Rifle Club
	Carrowdore  District Shooting  Recreation Club
	City of Derry Rifle  Pistol Club
	Clandeboye, Bangor  District U.S.C. Rifle  Pistol Club
	Co Londonderry 'XB' Rifle  Pistol Club
	Comber Rifle Club
	Creevedonnell Air Rifle Club
	Culnady Air Rifle Club
	Downpatrick Rifle Club
	Downshire Rifle Clu
	Dungannon Rifle  Pistol Club
	Dunnyboe Target Club
	East Antrim Rifle  Pistol Club
	Ex-Services Pistol  Rifle Club
	Fortwilliam Home Guard Rifle  Pistol Club
	Kells Rifle  Pistol Club
	Killylea Air Rifle Club
	Kirlish Rifle  Pistol Club
	Laghey Small Bore Rifle  Pistol Club
	Langford Lodge Sports Club
	Leopold Street Rifle Club
	Lisnalea Rod  Gun Club
	Loughbrickland Small Bore Rifle Club
	Maralin Rifle Club
	Michelin Athletic Pistol  Rifle Club
	Mid Antrim Rifle  Pistol Club
	Moneymore Air Rifle Club
	Mowillian Air Rifle Club
	2nd (NI) Battalion Army Cadet Force Rifle Club
	N.I. Target Sports Association
	North Antrim Small Bore Rifle  Pistol Club
	Omagh  District U.S.C.A Rifle Club
	Omagh Scout Group Rifle Club
	Orritor Rifle Club
	P.S.N.I. Rifle  Pistol Club
	Rockport Shooting Club
	Roe Valley Rifle Club
	Roe Valley Target Club
	Royal School Armagh Rifle Club
	Royal School Dungannon Rifle Club
	Seskinore Harriers Air Pistol Club
	Sherrygroom Rifle  Pistol Club
	Shorts Rifle  Pistol Club
	Strangford Lough W'Fowling Cons. Ass. Air Rifle Club
	Ulster Rifle Association
	Western Area Medical Target Shooting Club
	
		
			 Name of club Location of range 
		
		
			 Bangor Grammar School Combined Cadet Force Air Rifle Club Bangor Grammar School, 13 College Avenue, Bangor BT20 5HJ 
			 Culnady Air Rifle Club Culnady Orange Hall, Culnady Road, Upperlands, Maghera 
			 Dungannon Shooting Federation Club Dungannon Leisure Centre, Circular Road (Basement, rear car park) 
			 Bangor  District Small Bore Rifle Club Castle Park, Valentine Road, Bangor 
			 Dungannon Royal School Rifle Club Dungannon Royal School Grounds 
			 Rockport School Air Rifle Club Rockport School, Craigavad, Holywood BT180DD 
			 Killylea Air Gun Club Cooey Orange Hall, Kennedies Road, Killylea, Co Armagh 
			 Mowillian Air Rifle Club Moneymore, Co Londonderry 
			 Area 17 Air Pistol Club Unit 44, Dennisons Industrial Estate, Mill Road, Ballyclare 
			 Lisnalea Rod  Gun Club Shooting Range Entrance to disused railway tunnel, Corrinare Road, Loughgilly, Markethill 
			 Foyle  Londonderry College Northland Road, Londonderry 
			 County Londonderry XB Rifle Club Moneyshanare, Tobermore 
			 Comber Rifle Club 17 Railway Street, Comber BT23 5HG (2Xindoor ranges1Xfirst floor1Xground floor) 
			  Ballygraffan Road, Comber BT23 5SU (2Xranges1Xindoor1Xoutdoor) 
			 North Antrim Small Bore Rifle Club Nissen Hut at Bellisle Road, Carncullagh Upper, Dervock, Ballymoney (2Xranges) 
			 Bready Air Rifle Club Ballydonaghy, Clougher, Strabane 
			  69 Dunnalong Road, Bready, Strabane 
			 Private Range Garage at 612 Saintfield Road, Carryduff, Belfast BT8 8BL 
			 Langford Lodge Sports Club Unit 4, Langford Lodge Industrial Estate, Largy Road, Crumlin 
			 Sherrygroom Rifle  Pistol Club Above a barn at Dunnahenry Road, Stewartstown 
			 Roe Valley Rifle Club Farm yard at Tullyarmon, Limavady 
			 Seskinore Harriers Air Pistol Club Riding for Disabled Association, Deverney Road, Arvalee, Omagh 
			 Fortwilliam (Home Guard) Rifle  Pistol Club The Old Abattoir, Duncrue Pass, Belfast 
			 Moneymore Air Rifle Club Orange Hall, Main Street, Moneymore, Co Londonderry 
			 Carrowdore  District Shooting  Recreation Club Abbey Road, Carrowdore, Co Down (3Xranges2Xindoor7Xoutdoor) 
			 Ballymena Rifle  Pistol Club Loan Hill, Ballyconnelly Road, Cullybackey, Co Antrim (2Xranges) 
			 Kells Rifle  Pistol Club 78 Fernisky Road, Kells, Ballymena (2Xranges1Xindoor1Xoutdoor) 
			 Downshire Rifle Club Moira Road, Hillsborough (2Xranges1Xindoor1Xoutdoor) 
			 Omagh Boy Scouts Rifle Club Campsie Road, Omagh 
			 Clandeboye Bangor  USC Rifle  Pistol Club The Borough Gymnasium, Hamilton Road, Bangor, Co Down 
			 Laghey Rifle  Pistol Club 21A Killyneill Court, Dungannon BT71 6BN 
			 Loughbrickland Rifle Club McBride's Corner, Moneyslane, Ballyward, Banbridge, Co Down 
			 Duke of Abercorn Estate Range Baronscourt, Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone 
			 Desertmartin Air Rifle Club The Orange Hall, Desertmartin 
			 Omagh  District USCA Rifle Club Colebrooke Estate, Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh (1Xoutdoor) 
			  Gola, Lisbellaw, Co Fermanagh (1 x indoor) 
			 Mid Antrim Pony Club Barn at 125 Ahoghill Road, Randalstown 
			 Strangford Lough Wildfowlers Glenvale, Crawfordsburn Road, Newtownards 
			 HMP Weapon Training Range NIPS, HMP Maghaberry, Lisburn, Co Antrim 
			 East Antrim Rifle  Pistol Club 23A Sawmill Road, Ballyclare, Co Antrim  (3Xranges2Xindoor1Xoutdoor) 
			 Creevedonnell Air Rifle Club Cumber Church Hall, Cregg Road, Claudy, Co Londonderry (1Xindoor) 
			  Curryfree Road, Curryfree, Co Londonderry (1Xindoor) 
			 Dungannon Rifle  Pistol Club Disused sandpit at 408 Annaginny Road, Newmills, Dungannon (4Xranges)

Liver Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment for liver cancer in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on waiting times for cancer treatment is not collected centrally.

Negligence Claims

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many clinical negligence claims there have been against each health trust in the Province in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The information is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

NHS Clinical Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent NHS clinical staff in the Province since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the table. Clinical staff are those who provide a direct service to patients. Therefore, clinical staff within the HPSS includes the following terms and condition groups: nursing, midwifery and health visiting, social services, professional and technical, medical and dental and ambulance staff. Clinical staff consist of those who are professionally qualified and those staff working in direct support of professionally qualified clinical staff.
	
		Percentage increase in whole-time equivalent (WTE) of clinical staff, employed within the NI HPSS between March 1997 and March 2005
		
			  Clinical Staff (WTE) 
		
		
			 March 1997 24,769.35 
			 March 2005 31,621.99 
			 Percentage change 27.7 
		
	
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

NHS Pension Scheme

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when sessional general practitioners in the Province will be able to join the NHS pension scheme.

Shaun Woodward: Amending regulations which will open the HPSS superannuation scheme to sessional general practitioners in Northern Ireland are scheduled to be introduced in December 2005.
	These regulations will provide for both backdated and future scheme membership for sessional general practitioners from the date they are introduced.
	The Department's HPSS Superannuation Branch has recently issued a letter to sessional general practitioners informing them of this.

Non-clinical Staff

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the annual spending was on administrative and non-clinical staff within the health service in the Province in each of the last two years.

Shaun Woodward: Expenditure on administrative and non-clinical staff was 212 million in 200203, and 236 million in 200304. The figures for 200405 are not yet available.

Non-consultant Hospital Doctors

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent non-consultant hospital doctors in the Province since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: Information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Percentage increase in whole-time equivalent non-consultant hospital doctors employed within the NI HPSS between March 1997 and March 2005
		
			  Non-consultant hospital doctors (wte) 
		
		
			 March 1997 1,267.33 
			 March 2005 1,857.63 
			 Percentage change 46.6 
		
	
	Note:
	Non-consultant hospital doctor figures include both medical and dental staff.
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Northern Bank Robbery

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been (a) questioned, (b) arrested and (c) detained in connection with the Northern bank robbery.

Shaun Woodward: The investigation into the Northern bank robbery is ongoing. To date no-one has been arrested or detained and subsequently interviewed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to the robbery.
	PSNI are working closely with An Garda S-ochana on a number of aspects of the investigation into the Northern bank robbery. Progress has been made, and the Garda Commissioner has stated publicly that a large quantity of money recovered in raids in Cork was stolen from the Northern bank. PSNI are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice and are confident of a successful outcome to the investigation.

Northern Bank Robbery

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officers are working on the Northern Bank robbery case.

Shaun Woodward: The investigation into the Northern Bank robbery is ongoing and a dedicated team of detectives have been allocated to the case and are working closely with their counterparts in An Garda S-ochana. PSNI are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice and additional resources can be called upon as the inquiry evolves.
	The allocation of police staff resources is a matter for the Chief Constable.

Northern Bank Robbery

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been recovered to date from the Northern Bank robbery.

Shaun Woodward: The investigation into the Northern Bank robbery is ongoing. To date the Police Service of Northern Ireland has recovered 50,000 of the proceeds from the Northern Bank robbery. In addition An Garda S-ochana has recovered over 2.4 million which they believe to be from the Northern Bank robbery.

Northern Bank Robbery

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money the most recent change of notes after the Northern Bank robbery cost the Northern Bank to implement.

Shaun Woodward: It is not known precisely what costs were incurred by the Northern Bank to change its bank notes in the aftermath of the robbery of the bank in December. The hon. Member may wish to raise this issue with the chief executive of the Northern Bank.
	The Bank's decision to withdraw the old bank notes and replace them with notes of a different colour and design was warmly welcomed by the then Secretary of State as it significantly reduced the value of the robbery to the perpetrators and increased the logistical barriers for those responsible to launder the stolen money.

Nurses

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the percentage change in whole-time equivalent qualified nurses in the Province since 1997.

Shaun Woodward: Information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Percentage increase in whole-time equivalent (WTE) qualified nurses employed within the NI HPSS between March 1997 and March 2005
		
			  Qualified Nurses (WTE) 
		
		
			 March 1997 11,508.3 
			 March 2005 13,344.5 
			 Percentage change 16.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	Qualified nurses include midwives and health visitors.
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Ovarian Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time was that patients in the Province waited for treatment for ovarian cancer in (a) 1999 and (b) the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on waiting times for cancer treatment is not collected centrally.

Police Officer Numbers

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers there were in Northern Ireland on 1 September (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 2005, broken down by (i) regular, (ii) full-time reserve and (iii) part-time reserve.

Shaun Woodward: The relevant figures are listed in the following table. The figures for regulars do not include secondments, but do include student officers.
	
		
			 Date Regulars Full-time reserve Part-time reserve and constables part-time 
		
		
			 30 September 1997 8,470 2,975 1,362 
			 30 September 1998 8,446 2,980 1,255 
			 30 September 2005 7,461 1,173 902

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Roman Catholics and (b) Protestants qualified for the merit pool of suitably qualified candidates on each recruitment exercise for new constables by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, but were not appointed.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that in the last three years the merit pool breakdown has been as follows:
	
		
			   Merit pool Not appointed 
			 Campaign Month/Year Catholic Non-Catholic Catholic Non-Catholic 
		
		
			 5 March 2003 281 760 (22)131 (22)610 
			 6 September 2003 211 656 (22)61 (22)506 
			 7 March 2004 180 578 (22)47 (22)445 
			 8 September 2004 308 807 (22)198 (22)697 
			 9 March 2005 (23)
			 10 September 2005 (23)
		
	
	(22) Appointments are still being made from competitions five through to eight and these figures are based upon the projected number of final appointments.
	(23) Pool not yet formed.
	In total, competitions five through to eight have seen 3,781 candidates who have been classified as suitably qualified. It is projected that only 1,086 appointments will be made from these competitions, and as such it is inevitable that a large number of qualified candidates (an estimated 2,695) will be rejected.
	The vast majority of these candidates, however, will be affected in absolutely no way by the 50:50 measures. It is estimated only 288 will actually be rejected because of these temporary provisions. The remaining number will be rejected regardless of the 50/50 provisions and simply because demand to join PSNI is so high.
	With non-Catholics representing a higher proportion of applications, it is inevitable that there will be a higher proportion of non-Catholics who reach the pool of suitably qualified applicants, and are not then appointed.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of Police Service of Northern Ireland recruitment exercises for each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the figures spent on regular police trainee recruitment has been as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Annual cost () 
		
		
			 200203 3,794,761 
			 200304 4,553,610 
			 200405 5,071,988

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recruitment exercises have been carried out by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for new constables in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that there have been a total of six campaigns administered in the last three years. A total of 10 have taken place since March 2001.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new Police Service of Northern Ireland constables were appointed in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the following numbers have been appointed over the last three years:
	
		
			 Financial year Number appointed 
		
		
			 200203 414 
			 200304 528 
			 200405 531

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the size of the merit pool was for recruitment exercises carried out by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for new constables in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: I am advised that the following numbers have reached the merit pool of suitably qualified candidates:
	
		
			 Month/year Campaign Merit pool: total 
		
		
			 March 2003 5 1,041 
			 September 2003 6 867 
			 March 2004 7 758 
			 September 2004 8 1,115 
		
	
	Note:
	Competitions nine and 10 are ongoing, with merit pools yet to be formed.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many regular Police Service of Northern Ireland (a) full-time reserve and (b) part-time reserve officers are on (i) long term sick leave and (ii) short term sick leave within East Belfast.

Shaun Woodward: As of the 19 October 2005, East Belfast DCU recorded the following sick absence details for regular, full-time reserve and part-time reserve officers:
	11 regular officers on long-term sick absence (over 28 days)
	10 regular officers on short-term sick absence (under 28 days)
	1 full-time reserve on long term sick absence (over 28 days)
	10 full-time reserve on short-term sick absence (under 28 days)
	No part-time reserve constable recorded as sick

Police Stations (Closures)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the police stations on closure lists in each district in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The following stations have been approved for closure by the Chief Constable and the Policing Board:
	
		
			 DCU Station 
		
		
			 Banbridge Dromore 
			 Coleraine Castlerock 
			 Cookstown Moneymore 
			 Down Castlewellan 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone Caledon 
			  Ballygawley 
			  Moy 
			 Fermanagh Ballinamallard 
			  Derrygonnelly 
			  Kinawley 
			  Lisbellaw 
			  Rosslea 
			  Tempo 
			 Newry and Mourne Ardglass 
			 Strabane Plumbridge

Primary Schools

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils attended (a) state controlled, (b) Catholic maintained and (c) integrated primary schools in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		Pupils(24) in primary schools (25) in Northern Ireland
		
			  Controlled schools Catholic maintained schools Integrated(26) schools 
		
		
			 199596 89,214 89,213 2,965 
			 199697 89,077 88,072 3,512 
			 199798 87,969 86,345 3,809 
			 199899 86,157 84,213 4,669 
			 19992000 84,710 82,003 5,006 
			 200001 83,529 80,059 5,159 
			 200102 82,521 78,742 5,379 
			 200203 80,981 77,233 5,557 
			 200304 79,183 76,034 6,012 
			 200405 77,799 74,849 6,392 
		
	
	(24) Figures relate to pupils in year 1year 7 only.
	(25) Data for pupils at 'other maintained' primary schools and at preparatory departments of voluntary grammar schools have been excluded.
	(26) Includes both controlled integrated schools and grant maintained integrated schools.

Public Bodies (Appointments)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined appointees there have been to (i) the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland, (ii) general service grades of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland and (iii) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the last 12 months; and what percentage of appointees this represents in each case.

Angela Smith: Protestants and men are currently under-represented in positions in the administrative grades of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. To encourage applications from these groups advertisements for general service positions have included the following welcoming statement:
	As Protestants and men are currently known to be under-represented amongst applicants for employment in this grade in the NICS, applications from the Protestant section of the community and from men would be particularly welcome.
	As part of current outreach measures, Recruitment Service attends careers events throughout Northern Ireland to encourage young people to consider a career in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Officials from Department of Finance and Personnel have also met careers teachers from a predominantly Protestant catchment area in an initiative to ensure that careers in NICS are perceived in a positive way by young Protestant school leavers and that applications received are representative of the entire community.
	The following tables provide details of appointments for the year 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.
	
		Northern Ireland Civil Service
		
			  Protestant Roman Catholic Non-determined 
			 General service grades Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Total 
		
		
			 Permanent 661 44 825 55 9 0.6 1,495 
			 Temporary 161 45 190 53.5 4 1 355 
		
	
	Note:
	(These are overall figures for NICS and include appointments to the Child Support Agency.)
	
		Child Support Agency
		
			  Protestant Roman Catholic Non-determined 
			 General service grades Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Total 
		
		
			 Permanent 80 36.5 138 63 1 0.4 219 
			 Temporary 15 38.5 22 56.4 2 5 39 
		
	
	Note:
	(These appointments, included in the table above, are identified as appointments to the Child Support Agency.)
	
		Northern Ireland Housing Executive
		
			  Protestant Roman Catholic Non-determined 
			 General service grades Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Total 
		
		
			 Appointees 119 39.3 145 47.8 39 12.9 303

Racially Motivated Crime

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted and sentenced for racially motivated crime in each year for which figures are held.

David Hanson: The Government takes racially motivated crime very seriously. The Racial Equality Strategy, published on 19 July 2005, sets a framework to allow the Government to tackle the issues of racial inequality in Northern Ireland and to eradicate racism and hate crime. In addition, legislation was passed last year which enables aggravated penalties to be handed down by the courts on those whose crimes were motivated by hatred of a persons race.
	The table outlines the number of racially motivated crimes cleared by the police in 200405 (first financial year for which data available). A breakdown by clearance type is provided which includes the number of crimes cleared by way of a charge or summons.
	
		Crime clearance method 200405
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Charge/summons 59 
			 Caution/informed warning (including juvenile) 11 
			 No further police action(27) 31 
			 Total crimes cleared 101 
		
	
	(27) Includes cases where complainant declined to prosecute, or suspected offender is under the age of criminal responsibility or has died.

Racially Motivated Crime

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) hate crimes and (b) racially motivated crimes there have been within each district command unit in Northern Ireland over the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland will record any incident perceived to have been committed against any person or property on the grounds of a particular persons ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political opinion or disability, whether it amounts to a crime or not. These incidents are commonly referred to as hate crimes and take many forms, including, verbal abuse, physical assault, intimidation and damage to property.
	The tables provide statistics for racially motivated incidents and homophobic incidents. The statistics in relation to homophobic incidents are only available by District Command Unit for 200304 and 200405. The total figure for such incidents in 200203 was 35.
	Computerised recording of incidents where the motivation is perceived to be on the grounds of an individual's particular religion, political opinion, or disability will be available from April 2005.
	
		Number of homophobic incidents(28)200203, 200304 and 200405
		
			 District command unit Homophobic incidents 200304 Homophobic incidents 200405 
		
		
			 Urban region:   
			 North Belfast 13 27 
			 South Belfast 15 28 
			 East Belfast 4 6 
			 West Belfast 0 4 
			 Castlereagh 1 4 
			 North Down 0 4 
			 Newtownabbey 0 9 
			 Antrim 0 4 
			 Carrickfergus 1 1 
			 Lisburn 11 5 
			 Larne 0 2 
			 Ards 0 0 
			 Total for region 45 94 
			
			 Rural region:   
			 Ballymena 1 3 
			 Ballymoney 0 4 
			 Coleraine 0 5 
			 Limavady 0 3 
			 Foyle 17 69 
			 Moyle 0 1 
			 Magherafelt 0 1 
			 Strabane 0 2 
			 Omagh 2 1 
			 Fermanagh 1 3 
			 Armagh 1 0 
			 Banbridge 1 1 
			 Craigavon 2 1 
			 Cookstown 0 4 
			 Down 0 1 
			 Newry and Mourne 1 2 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 0 1 
			 Total for region 26 102 
			   102 
			 Overall total 71 196 
		
	
	(28) Homophobic incidents include attempted murder, physical assault, verbal abuse/threat, attack on home, attack on property, graffiti and written material.
	
		Number of racial incidents(29)200203, 200304 and 200405
		
			 District command unit Racial incidents 200203 Racial incidents 200304 Racial incidents 200405 
		
		
			 Urban region:
			 North Belfast 16 27 76 
			 South Belfast 58 147 159 
			 East Belfast 11 32 54 
			 West Belfast 0 11 13 
			 Castlereagh 8 10 12 
			 North Down 17 18 19 
			 Newtownabbey 18 18 15 
			 Antrim 0 4 23 
			 Carrickfergus 2 4 21 
			 Lisburn 6 16 28 
			 Larne 5 2 0 
			 Ards 0 0 25 
			 Total for region 141 289 445 
			 
			 Rural region:
			 Ballymena 6 37 52 
			 Ballymoney 2 3 8 
			 Coleraine 3 7 22 
			 Limavady 1 2 7 
			 Foyle 5 12 40 
			 Moyle 1 0 1 
			 Magherafelt 0 1 9 
			 Strabane 0 0 3 
			 Omagh 2 2 6 
			 Fermanagh 2 5 18 
			 Armagh 4 14 14 
			 Banbridge 0 2 1 
			 Craigavon 35 31 79 
			 Cookstown 14 11 16 
			 Down 1 5 8 
			 Newry and Mourne 2 11 15 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 7 21 69 
			 Total for region 85 164 368 
			 
			 Overall total 226 453 813 
		
	
	(29) Racial incidents include murder, physical assault, verbal abuse/threat, attack on home, attack on property, graffiti and written material.
	Note:
	A new method of recording these figures was introduced in 200405. The statistics issued by the Chief Constable are now aligned with Home Office practice and as a result the figures for 200405 are not directly comparable with the figures for 200203 and 200304.

Racially Motivated Crime

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been prosecuted for racism in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: Court prosecution data do not identify racism offences. The Police Service of Northern Ireland do not hold figures for the last five years. The table outlines the number of racially motivated crimes cleared by the police in 200405 (the first financial year for which data are available) and for the current financial year to date. A breakdown by clearance type is provided which includes the number of crimes cleared by way of a charge or summons.
	
		
			 Crime clearance method 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 1 April 2005 to 31 August 2005(30) 
		
		
			 Charge/summons 59 17 
			 Caution/informed warning  (including juvenile) 11 1 
			 No further police action(31) 31 27 
			 Total crimes cleared 101 45 
		
	
	(30) Part year.
	(31) Includes cases where complainant declined to prosecute, and where the suspected offender is under the age of criminal responsibility or has died.

Rape

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of a rape charge in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the table below and covers the period 1999 to 2003 (the latter being the most up-to-date data presently available).
	
		Convictions for rape, assault with intent to rape and indecent assault: 19992003
		
			  Rape Assault with intent to rape Indecent assault 
		
		
			 1999 7 1 61 
			 2000 9 1 88 
			 2001 13 1 81 
			 2002 10 0 55 
			 2003 10 0 66

Rape

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many rapes there were in each of the Police Service of Northern Ireland district commands in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is as follows.
	
		Rape offences recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland
		
			  200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Antrim 3 6 7 8 7 
			 Ards 7 6 14 14 16 
			 East Belfast 6 13 11 8 14 
			 North Belfast 12 14 19 29 26 
			 South Belfast 20 26 23 32 21 
			 West Belfast 7 6 13 23 13 
			 Carrickfergus 6 1 2 6 6 
			 Castlereagh 4 11 8 5 2 
			 Larne 6 6 9 8 11 
			 Lisburn 8 12 18 24 21 
			 Newtownabbey 3 7 9 10 18 
			 North Down 11 13 8 19 11 
			 Armagh 4 8 3 1 9 
			 Banbridge 5 8 8 10 11 
			 Ballymena 10 7 14 15 17 
			 Ballymoney 1 0 3 4 4 
			 Coleraine 3 8 16 12 9 
			 Cookstown 2 6 4 3 3 
			 Craigavon 20 19 18 19 17 
			 Dungannon and  South Tyrone 3 7 7 6 7 
			 Down 7 6 17 10 9 
			 Fermanagh 6 4 4 8 7 
			 Foyle 27 25 43 31 39 
			 Limavady 2 6 6 10 10 
			 Magherafelt 2 6 6 4 4 
			 Moyle 4 3 4 4 2 
			 Newry and Mourne 6 8 7 16 12 
			 Omagh 10 5 10 5 11 
			 Strabane 4 5 6 10 10 
			 Total 209 252 317 354 347

Rape

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of rape were reported in each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland do not record statistics by parliamentary constituencies, rather by district command unit. The following table provides the information requested in the format available for the period 200405.
	
		Rape offences recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland
		
			 District command unit 200405 
		
		
			 Antrim 7 
			 Ards 16 
			 East Belfast 14 
			 North Belfast 26 
			 South Belfast 21 
			 West Belfast 13 
			 Carrickfergus 6 
			 Castlereagh 2 
			 Larne 11 
			 Lisburn 21 
			 Newtownabbey 18 
			 North Down 11 
			 Armagh 9 
			 Banbridge 11 
			 Ballymena 17 
			 Ballymoney 4 
			 Coleraine 9 
			 Cookstown 3 
			 Craigavon 17 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 7 
			 Down 9 
			 Fermanagh 7 
			 Foyle 39 
			 Limavady 10 
			 Magherafelt 4 
			 Moyle 2 
			 Newry and Mourne 12 
			 Omagh 11 
			 Strabane 10 
			 Total for Northern Ireland 347 
		
	
	Source:
	Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Road Traffic Officers

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road traffic officers are stationed in each Police Service of Northern Ireland district.

Shaun Woodward: Roads Policing Officers are attached to the Regional Operational Command Units (OCU), not District Command Units (DCU).
	These officers are deployed across all DCUs on an intelligence led basis to support DCUs in policing the roads, with the primary aim of reducing the number of persons killed or seriously injured.
	The numbers attached to each OCU are:
	
		
			  Full-time equivalents 
		
		
			 Rural Region OCU 133.75 
			 Urban Region OCU 117.75

School Transport

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on transport provided for children travelling to and from each school in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The requested information is not held in respect of individual schools. However in the 200405 financial year a total of 64 million was spent on school transport. The expenditure in each Board area was as follows:
	
		
			 Board area  million 
		
		
			 Belfast 4.425 
			 North-Eastern 16.806 
			 South-Eastern 13.285 
			 Southern 16.367 
			 Western 13.167 
			 Total 64.05

School Transport

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school children use school funded transport to travel to and from maintained schools.

Angela Smith: The most recent figures available from Education and Library Boards for the 200405 academic year indicate that a total of 97,791 pupils were eligible for transport assistance. The breakdown of providers is:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Translink 53,134 
			 ELB fleet 27,880 
			 Privately operated services 16,777 
			 Total 97,791

Seat Belts

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the (a) minimum and (b) maximum (i) fine and (ii) penalty points issued for not wearing a seat belt in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: Failure to wear a seatbelt is in the main dealt with by issue of a Non-Endorsable Fixed Penalty Notice, attracting a fine of 30. Should the recipient opt to have the matter heard at court, the maximum possible fine is 500. These fines do not attract penalty points.

Seat Belts

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were stopped for not wearing their seat belts, in each of the last three years, broken down by district; and which type of fine was imposed upon each individual.

Shaun Woodward: An overall figure for the number of people stopped is not available as the Police Service of Northern Ireland does not maintain a record of those who were warned or given advice. Enforcement activity in respect of failure to wear seatbelts is largely by way of non-endorsable fixed penalty notices and figures in relation to this are provided in the following tables. Figures relating to prosecutions for failure to wear a seatbelt are not available for 2002 and 2003, however I can confirm that the number of prosecutions in 2004 was 1,756.
	
		Number of fixed penalty notices 2002
		
			 Offence type Carrying child under 14 years without seatbelt (front) Carrying child under 14 years without seatbelt (rear) Driving passenger car with unrestrained child under 12 years. Failing to wear seatbelt Total fixed penalty notices issued 
		
		
			 District Command Unit 
			 Urban region  
			 Antrim 5 5 6 96 112 
			 Ards 4 9 3 426 442 
			 East Belfast 2 5  72 79 
			 North Belfast 1 7 1 125 134 
			 South Belfast 3 4 2 77 86 
			 West Belfast 2 12 4 260 278 
			 Carrickfergus 3 1 1 31 36 
			 Castlereagh 1 2 1 136 140 
			 Larne 2 7 1 111 121 
			 Lisburn 1 5 5 135 146 
			 Newtownabbey 2 2  79 83 
			 North Down70 70 
			 Total for urban Region 1,727 
			   
			 Rural region  
			 Armagh 16 15  263 294 
			 Banbridge 8 17 3 368 396 
			 Ballymena 5 20 3 519 547 
			 Ballymoney 5 5 1 152 163 
			 Coleraine 3 7 1 202 213 
			 Cookstown 11 13 2 243 269 
			 Craigavon 30 158 14 2,354 2,556 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 16 25 4 611 656 
			 Down 1 7 1 285 294 
			 Fermanagh 7 11 3 257 278 
			 Foyle 21 46 6 870 943 
			 Limavady 6 7  194 207 
			 Magherafelt 6 7 1 243 257 
			 Moyle7 7 
			 Newry and Mourne 10 31 1 464 506 
			 Omagh 12 9 2 349 372 
			 Strabane 1 6 2 110 119 
			 Total for rural region 8,077 
			 Total fixed penalty notices issued 9,804 
		
	
	
		Number of fixed penalty notices 2003
		
			 Offence type Carrying child under 14 years without seatbelt (front) Carrying child under 14 years without seatbelt (rear) Driving passenger car with unrestrained child under 12 years Failing to wear seatbelt Total fixed penalty notices issued 
		
		
			 District Command Unit 
			 Urban region  
			 Antrim 9 19 4 615 647 
			 Ards 15 16 4 554 589 
			 East Belfast 6 16 2 367 391 
			 North Belfast 2 13 8 319 342 
			 South Belfast 3 8 2 30 43 
			 West Belfast 7 42 10 813 872 
			 Carrickfergus 2 2 1 79 84 
			 Castlereagh 8 17 3 986 1,014 
			 Larne 3 4 2 254 263 
			 Lisburn 3 11 4 485 503 
			 Newtownabbey 8 8 3 238 257 
			 North Down 1 7  311 319 
			 Total for urban region 5,324 
			   
			 Rural region  
			 Armagh 14 23 3 548 588 
			 Banbridge 5 13 2 401 421 
			 Ballymena 14 37 7 2,019 2,077 
			 Ballymoney 19 18 1 517 555 
			 Coleraine 14 21 3 452 490 
			 Cookstown 5 17 12 501 535 
			 Craigavon 40 116 5 2,260 2,421 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 10 21 8 682 721 
			 Down 11 10 7 545 573 
			 Fermanagh 13 21 2 704 740 
			 Foyle 21 29 3 1,303 1,356 
			 Limavady 6 8 5 480 499 
			 Magherafelt 7 5 1 347 360 
			 Moyle 2 6 1 99 108 
			 Newry and Mourne 6 31  449 486 
			 Omagh 11 23 1 539 574 
			 Strabane 9 13 2 337 361 
			 Total for rural region 12,865 
			 Total fixed penalty notices issued 18,189 
		
	
	
		Number of fixed penalty notices 2004
		
			 Offence type Carrying child under 14 years without seatbelt (front) Carrying child under 14 years without seatbelt (rear) Driving passenger car with unrestrained child under 12 years Failing to wear seatbelt Total fixed penalty notices issued 
		
		
			 District Command Unit  
			 Urban region  
			 Antrim 5 18 1 665 689 
			 Ards 3 15 2 472 492 
			 East Belfast 9 22 1 632 664 
			 North Belfast 7 13 6 354 380 
			 South Belfast 13 25 4 1,132 1,174 
			 West Belfast 12 45 5 660 722 
			 Carrickfergus 5 11 3 120 139 
			 Castlereagh 6 15 3 848 872 
			 Larne 2 14  395 411 
			 Lisburn 10 20 1 1,057 1,088 
			 Newtownabbey 9 23 5 529 566 
			 North Down 3 7 1 504 515 
			 Total for Urban Region 7,712 
			   
			 Rural region  
			 Armagh 28 36 1 1,003 1,068 
			 Banbridge 3 14 4 374 395 
			 Ballymena 15 30 9 1,313 1,367 
			 Ballymoney 12 10 1 422 445 
			 Coleraine 8 21 6 655 690 
			 Cookstown 19 20 6 498 543 
			 Craigavon 27 82 11 1,952 2,072 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 13 26 4 815 858 
			 Down 10 28 1 734 773 
			 Fermanagh 7 14 4 336 361 
			 Foyle 19 49 2 1,521 1,591 
			 Limavady 6 17 1 539 563 
			 Magherafelt 8 11 4 531 554 
			 Moyle 6 5  127 138 
			 Newry and Mourne 25 42 7 935 1,009 
			 Omagh 14 19 6 520 559 
			 Strabane 7 9  378 394 
			 Total for rural region 13,380 
			 Total fixed penalty notices issued 21,092

Sexual Assaults

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) rape and (b) sexual assault incidents were recorded in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the table.
	
		
			  Crime type 
			  Rape Attempted rape Indecent assault 
		
		
			 200001 209 23 663 
			 200102 252 40 677 
			 200203 317 40 633 
			 200304 354 41 834 
			 200405 347 33 746 
		
	
	Source:
	Central Statistics Unit, PSNI

Sexual Assaults

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions for (i) rape, (ii) assault with intent to rape and (iii) indecent assault took place in each of the last five years in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The following table provides statistics on the number of prosecutions and convictions for rape, assault with intent to rape and indecent assault during the period 1999 to 2003 (the latter being the most up-to-date data presently available).
	
		Prosecutions and convictions for rape, assault with intent to rape, and indecent assault: 19992003
		
			  Rape Assault with intent to rape Indecent assault 
			  Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions 
		
		
			 1999 31 7 3 1 86 61 
			 2000 24 9 2 1 111 88 
			 2001 33 13 1 1 111 81 
			 2002 30 10 0 0 90 55 
			 2003 31 10 0 0 109 66

Social Housing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new dwellings were constructed for social housing in each of the last three years in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The number of social houses completed in each of the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200203 1,295 
			 200304 854 
			 200405 1,073 
		
	
	The figures include new build and houses purchased from the open market either in good condition or from rehabilitation, prior to letting. All are additions to social housing stock.

St. Luke's Hospital (Suicides)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients or former patients at St. Luke's Hospital, Armagh, have committed suicide within the confines of the hospital in the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: There have been two patients or former patients at St. Luke's Hospital, Armagh, that have committed suicide within the confines of the hospital in the last 10 years. Both suicides occurred during the year 2002.

Stinger Devices

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions stinger devices have been used in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, broken down by district.

Shaun Woodward: This information is not readily available and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Stinger Devices

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many stinger-type devices are operated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: There are 212 stinger devices in service with the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Teacher Numbers

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers are working within the education system in Northern Ireland, broken down by age group.

Angela Smith: The numbers of teachers working in the grant-aided schools and Further Education Colleges in Northern Ireland in September 2005, broken down by age groups are detailed in the table. The figures do not include teachers employed in the Voluntary grammar sector, which can be obtained only at disproportionate cost from each school.
	
		
			 Age group Permanent teachers Temporary teachers Further education colleges Total 
		
		
			 Under 30 years 2,452 506 90 3,048 
			 3039 years 5,284 181 421 5,886 
			 4049 years 4,358 110 841 5,309 
			 5059 years 4,543 143 798 5,484 
			 60+ 220 42 90 352 
			 Total 16,857 982 2,240 20,079

Teenage Pregnancies

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many girls under the age of 16 years became pregnant in each health board in the last year for which figures are available (a) in total and (b) expressed as a percentage of under-16s in descending order by region.

Shaun Woodward: It is not possible to provide information on the number of pregnant girls aged under 16 years in Northern Ireland, as the number of pregnancies is not recorded.
	The number of births to teenage girls aged under 16 years registered in Northern Ireland in 2004 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Health board (a) Total number of births for girls under the age of 16 years(32) (b) Percentage of mid year population estimates 
		
		
			 Eastern 22 0.03 
			 Northern 8 0.02 
			 Southern 6 0.02 
			 Western 3 0.01 
			 Northern Ireland 39 0.02 
		
	
	(32) Data for number of births during 2004 is currently provisional as is subject to change.
	Notes:
	1. The number of births refers to all live and still births to women aged under 16 resident in Northern Ireland.
	2. Percentages are calculated using the mid year population figures of those aged under 16 within each Health Board for 2004.
	Source:
	Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Vacant Dwellings

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of vacant dwellings in (a) public and (b) private sectors in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: The information in respect of Northern Ireland Housing Executive properties is set out as follows in the form requested. The information in respect of the private sector is not available in the same format but the latest published figures from the Housing Condition survey 2001 are provided.
	
		Northern Ireland housing executive total vacant properties
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200203 6,268 
			 200304 5,614 
			 200405 4,810 
		
	
	The House Condition Survey 2001 shows that there were an estimated 25,562 vacant dwellings in the private sector. Of these, 17,595 (3.9 per cent. of the housing stock) were in the owner occupied sector and 7,967 (13.8 per cent. were in the rented sector).

Vehicle Theft

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recorded (a) theft of vehicle and (b) unauthorised taking of vehicle offences there have been in each Police Service of Northern Ireland district command in each of the last three years; and what percentages of vehicles were recovered.

Shaun Woodward: The Police Service of Northern Ireland records theft of vehicles and unauthorised taking of vehicles as a single category. These figures are provided in the following table. No central record is maintained in relation to the recovery of vehicles.
	
		Recorded theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle
		
			  200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Northern Ireland 8,410 5,369 4,456 
			 
			 Urban Region 5,981 3,486 2,908 
			 Antrim 263 188 108 
			 Ards 275 131 99 
			 East Belfast 640 267 213 
			 North Belfast 882 568 498 
			 South Belfast 1,472 732 646 
			 West Belfast 610 410 423 
			 Carrickfergus 118 50 42 
			 Castlereagh 284 182 143 
			 Larne 49 45 40 
			 Lisburn 757 546 415 
			 Newtownabbey 392 246 182 
			 North Down 239 121 99 
			 
			 Rural Region 2,429 1,883 1,548 
			 Armagh 128 94 79 
			 Banbridge 98 100 48 
			 Ballymena 133 120 66 
			 Ballymoney 43 27 23 
			 Coleraine 132 128 97 
			 Cookstown 60 59 50 
			 Craigavon 258 241 151 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 150 112 99 
			 Down 328 205 143 
			 Fermanagh 92 75 53 
			 Foyle 265 243 251 
			 Limavady 35 43 46 
			 Magherafelt 75 29 22 
			 Moyle 51 28 23 
			 Newry and Mourne 404 280 311 
			 Omagh 90 46 44 
			 Strabane 87 53 42

Waiting Lists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients from each health board area in the Province are waiting for radiotherapy treatment.

Shaun Woodward: Information on the number of people awaiting radiotherapy treatment is not collected centrally.

Waiting Lists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time has been that patients in the Province have waited for radiotherapy in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: Information on waiting times for radiotherapy treatment is not collected centrally.

Warm Homes Scheme

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contractors are working within each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland for the Eaga Partnership Warm Homes Scheme, broken down by those contractors fitting (a) heating systems and (b) insulation measures.

David Hanson: There are currently 17 heating contractors and 10 insulation contractors working on the Warm Homes Scheme across all the parliamentary constituencies throughout Northern Ireland.

Warm Homes Scheme

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent monthly update from the Warm Homes Scheme in Northern Ireland and the steps he is taking to increase take-up of the scheme in those areas where take-up is low.

David Hanson: The Department for Social Development is keen to ensure that as all those eligible for assistance under the Warm Homes Scheme are fully aware of their entitlement and can access the scheme with the minimum amount of bureaucracy. For this reason management of the scheme has been passed to Eaga Partnership, which has been working with a variety of organisations across the statutory, private and voluntary sectors to ensure that Warm Homes information is passed on to those most vulnerable and who may be eligible for the grant. This activity includes a variety of methods including local press releases, information sessions for community groups, training sessions for healthcare professionals and targeted mail shots. Time is also spent briefing MLAs and local authorities on Warm Homes, performance statistics and discussing local approaches to promote the scheme in individual areas where uptake may be low.

Weapon Licences

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for personal protection weapon licences have been made in each month since August 2004; and how many such licences were issued in each month.

Shaun Woodward: The following information has been supplied by the PSNI.
	
		PPW applications
		
			  Number of PPW applications Number of PPW licences issued 
		
		
			 August 2004 21 19 
			 September 2004 26 24 
			 October 2004 21 17 
			 November 2004 13 10 
			 December 2004 9 6 
			 January 2005 14 13 
			 February 2005 10 3 
			 March 2005 16 13 
			 April 2005 6 4 
			 May 2005 11 7 
			 June 2005 12 11 
			 July 2005 5 2 
			 August 2005 2 1 
			 September 2005 11 4 
		
	
	For a firearm certificate to be issued the Chief Constable must be satisfied that the applicant is a fit person and has a legitimate reason to hold a firearm. Where the Chief Constable has information from his own sources of a real and immediate risk to a person's life from terrorists he may allow an application for a firearm certificate for a personal protection weapon.
	The figures do not include PPWs held by the security forces.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

14 to 19 Education

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received on the Government's 1419 White Paper; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: My right hon. Friend has had a number of meetings recently in which the 1419 White Paper was discussed. We will be publishing later in the autumn a 1419 implementation plan. This will set out progress since publication of the White Paper specifically: action we have taken in the short term to raise attainment; reform of qualifications and the curriculum for the long term; and delivery on the ground.

Academy Courses (London West)

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the 16 to 19-year-olds expected to study at the proposed academy on the Brunel University's Uxbridge campus will be studying courses not presently provided by schools and colleges in the London West Learning and Skills Council area; and what courses she expects these to be.

Bill Rammell: The Brunel HSBC Education Trust Academy is currently in the feasibility stage of development, where its viability is assessed and consulted on with local stakeholders. It is, therefore, too early to give a detailed breakdown of the curriculum it would offer. The proposed specialism of the Academy is in mathematics, science, engineering and technology.

Academy Courses (London West)

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the criteria against which the proposal to establish a 16 to 19 academy based on Brunel University's Uxbridge campus is being evaluated.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend will make a decision on whether to establish The Brunel HSBC Education Trust Academy, having consideration of the sponsors' vision and objectives for the Academy, the proposed education provision and the value for money and effectiveness of the Academy building design. Consideration will also be given to the findings of the consultation process, currently under way, including the views of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) both locally and nationally. In line with the Academy programme ethos the Brunel HSBC Education Trust Academy aims to attract students who might not otherwise have remained in education at age 16. This will be in particular students from the LSC London West and nearby areas.

Allergies

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to improve the (a) levels of awareness of and (b) information about allergies and related issues for (i) teachers, (ii) non-teaching classroom assistants and (iii) professionals who work in pre-schools; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: To assist all staff working in schools and early settings to support children with medical needs and manage their medicines, the Department jointly with the Department of Health published guidance Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings March 2005. The guidance includes a section on common conditions including anaphylaxis, though it is not a substitute for detailed medical advice. It is important that the needs of children are assessed on an individual basis and staff receive appropriate training and support from health professionals
	The guidance provides schools and early years settings with practical advice to help them put in place policies on managing medicines and to put in place effective management systems to support pupils with medical needs.

Asperger's Syndrome

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are trained to provide appropriate support to children with Asperger's syndrome;
	(2)  if she will take steps to ensure that appropriate levels of behaviour support are provided for children with Asperger's syndrome;
	(3)  if she will take steps to ensure that each child diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome receives an assessment of needs from an educational psychologist at the time of diagnosis;
	(4)  if she will take steps to ensure that appropriate training and support is provided for teachers dealing with children with Asperger's syndrome.

Maria Eagle: Maintained schools and local authorities have statutory duties to identify and make suitable provision for all children with special educational needs (SEN), including those with Asperger's syndrome. Where necessary, local authorities have a duty to assess children's SEN and draw up SEN statements. These assessments, which do not need to wait until a child receives a diagnosis, must include advice from an educational psychologist. The SEN Code of Practice, which gives statutory guidance to schools, local authorities and others, and the assessments are in place to ensure that children with SEN receive the appropriate levels of support, including behaviour support.
	The Good Practice Guidance on autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) (2002), published by the Departments for Education and Skills and Health, recommends that all those who provide for children with ASDs, including Asperger's syndrome, should have some knowledge and understanding of the disorders. In order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status, all trainee teachers must demonstrate competences in SEN including that they know how to seek advice from specialists on less common types of SEN and that they can identify and support pupils who experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Newly Qualified Teachers, during induction, must demonstrate they can plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils with SEN. For in-service training, all schools have a School Development Grant which they can use for purposes such as supporting professional development in SEN, including training in Asperger's syndrome, if they feel that is needed.
	Under the SEN strategy Removing Barriers to Achievement the Department has commissioned the Teacher Development Agency to carry out work to the value of 1.1 million over the period 200508 to strengthen teachers' SEN skills. This includes work to strengthen the SEN training infrastructure by creating a network of SEN tutors in order to encourage the sharing of expertise.

Asthma

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what guidance she has issued to schools on dealing with students who have asthma; and what recent discussions she has had on this matter;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to ensure that each school has an asthma policy;
	(3)  what steps she is taking to ensure that all students with asthma are (a) encouraged and (b) enabled to take part in (i) school sports and (ii) other physical activity.

Jacqui Smith: In March 2005 jointly with the Department of Health, the Department published guidance Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings to help schools and their employers develop and put in place policies on the management of pupils' medicines and on supporting pupils with medical needs. However there is no legal requirement on local authorities or schools to have such policies in place. The guidance provides some basic information on some common conditions, including asthma, and encourages schools to develop an environment that is asthma friendly. In particular, the guidance recommends that all schools should have an asthma policy as an integral part of their policy on medicines and medical needs. The guidance also recommends all staff, particularly PE teachers, should have training or be provided with information about asthma once a year so that they can support children in all aspects of school life including physical activities when appropriate.

Building Schools for the Future

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities in South England applied for a Building Schools for the Future one-school pathfinder project in the most recent round of applications for the Targeted Capital Fund.

Jacqui Smith: Local authorities were not asked to apply for a Building Schools for the Future one-school pathfinder project. It is the Government's ambition that all local authorities should have capital funding allocated to rebuild, or refurbish, at least one secondary school by 2011. It is our aim to achieve this by investment through Building Schools the Future (BSF), the Academies programme, or this pathfinder scheme. Local authorities that are due to join BSF in the latter part of that programme are being prioritised in the one-school pathfinder scheme according to their building need data. The first 12 authorities that have been targeted to receive this funding were announced on 12 October.

Bullying

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many cases of bullying were recorded in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in Cumbria in each year since 1997; and what the average figures were for English local education authorities for each year.

Jacqui Smith: Data on bullying amongst children and young people are not collected centrally and there is no reliable basis for an estimate of prevalence. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than previously but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children. Indeed, as children and young people increasingly feel safe at school to report bullying, and confident that it will be tackled effectively and sensitively, it is likely reporting will rise.
	However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance pack Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence, the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying.
	Data on bullying are not collected by local education authorities and, similarly, there is no reliable basis for an estimate of prevalence.

Bullying

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of bullying-related child (a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides in (i) Greater London and (ii) England in each of the last 12 years;
	(2)  how many recorded incidents of bullying there were in each secondary school (a) Havering, (b) Essex and (c) Greater London in each of the past five years.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect centrally figures relating to cases of child suicide and attempted suicide by children who may have been bullied.
	Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than previously but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or affecting more children. Indeed, as children and young people increasingly feel safe at school to report bullying, and confident that it will be tackled effectively and sensitively, it is likely reporting will rise. However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our soon to be updated guidance pack 'Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence', alongside the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying. We also offer specific advice to schools on tackling homophobic bullying and are developing advice on racist bullying.

Child Care (Grandparents)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to assist local authorities to support grandparents who act as foster parents, guardians or holder of a residence order in respect of their grandchildren; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: A number of tools have been developed to help local authorities to assess the needs of children and families. In particular, the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families and the new Common Assessment Framework may be used to identify the needs of children in family and friends placements and to help ensure that they receive the universal services to which they are entitled as well as any additional services.
	The Department for Education and Skills is also undertaking a range of work targeted at improving the support provided to all those assessed and approved as foster carers, including grandparents, other relatives and friends of the family. This includes the development of proposals for a national minimum allowance for foster carers, the introduction of a new national helpline, work to improve training opportunities for foster carers, and work to improve the support offered to foster carers facing allegations.
	The Department for Education and Skills has funded voluntary organisations to carry out work dealing specifically with family and friends carers. The Family Rights Group were funded to produce a framework for the support of family and friends carers, including information leaflets. They are also developing a resource pack on the use of Family Group Conferences. The Grandparents Association receives funding to provide an advice line for family and friends carers who have a residence order, or carers seeking to apply for a residence order.
	The Department is currently considering how best to assist local authorities further to develop and support family and friends care.

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have left care on average over the last 10 years; and what percentage move directly into bed and breakfast accommodation.

Maria Eagle: The number of children who ceased to be looked after during the years ending 31 March 1995 to 31 March 2004 are shown in the following table. Information on the percentage of those who move directly into bed and breakfast accommodation is not collected centrally.
	
		Children who ceased to be looked after during the years ending 31 March 1995 to 2004 by age on ceasing1,2: England -- Numbers
		
			  1995(35) 1996(35) 1997(35) 1998(35) 1999(35) 
		
		
			 All children(34) 33,200 32,400 30,100 29,000 27,100 
			 Under 1 1,700 1,500 1,400 1,300 1,400 
			 14 6,100 5,900 5,300 5,000 4,700 
			 59 5,800 5,500 5,200 5,100 4,500 
			 1015 10,900 10,800 10,000 9,500 9,100 
			 16 and over 8,700 8,600 8,200 8,100 7,400 
		
	
	
		Numbers
		
			  2000(35) 2001(35) 2002(35) 2003(35) 2004(36) 
		
		
			 All children(34) 26,700 25,000 25,400 24,300 25,300 
			 Under 1 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,200 1,300 
			 14 4,900 5,000 5,200 5,200 5,500 
			 59 4,300 4,000 4,200 4,000 4,300 
			 1015 8,900 8,000 8,000 7,300 7,500 
			 16 and over 7,200 6,800 6,700 6,600 6,800 
		
	
	(33) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted
	(34) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements
	(35) Figures are derived from the SSDA903 one-third sample survey
	(36) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return, which in 199596,199697 and 200304 covered all children looked after.

Children (Leaving Care) Act

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to monitor the impact of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The impact of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 is monitored at national level primarily through an annual data collection, the Commission for Social Care Inspection's Performance Indicators and the National Leaving Care Project Group. The National Leaving Care Project Group largely comprises of academics and representatives from voluntary organisations. It continues to meet regularly in order to monitor and promote on-going improvements for care leavers.
	Since the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 was commenced in October 2001, statistics have been collected on outcomes for care leavers aged 19 who were in care at the age of 16. For the year ending 31 March 2004, 55 per cent. of care leavers aged 19 were engaged in education, employment and training on their 19th birthday. This represents an improvement, from 46 per cent. in 200102. Local authorities remain in touch with 85 per cent. of their care leavers; this represents an improvement from 200102, when they were in touch with 75 per cent.

City Academies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the VAT liability that would be incurred if existing city academies made their buildings freely available to community groups;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the VAT treatment of buildings work at city academies where the buildings are made available for use by community groups;
	(3)  what representations she has received from city academies about the VAT treatment of building work in cases where academies make their buildings available to community groups.

Jacqui Smith: We have received a number of representations from academies about the VAT position and funding for VAT costs, and are discussing the issues with them and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. My officials have also had discussions with officials from HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs.
	VAT is not chargeable on the construction of academy buildings, or parts of these buildings, that are used exclusively for core education activities and/or for community use where no charge is made. VAT relief also applies to those parts of the building used for community activities where any charge is made, provided this does not exceed 10 per cent. of the total use. Long standing agreements with our European partners, which govern the application of VAT reliefs throughout the EU, mean that while we can maintain the existing relief for the construction of charitable buildings, relief cannot be extended further.
	For academy buildings to be available for community use without restriction, VAT would have to be paid on the costs of the relevant parts of the building. However, in such cases an academy would be able reclaim VAT that related to taxable business use of the building. An academy would also be able to choose to reclaim VAT that relates to non-business use of the building and to account for output tax over the economic lifetime of the building. This would allow the academy to spread any VAT costs relating to non-business use of its buildings over a 20 year period.

Computers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the ratio of children to computers was at each primary school in (a) Romford, (b) Havering and (c) England in each of the past 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect the data requested for questions (a) and (b).
	The national figures for computer to pupil ratios in primary schools in England from 1995 to 2005 are as follows:
	
		
			  Computer to pupil ratios in primary schools 
		
		
			 199596 1:19 
			 1998 1:17.6 
			 1999 1:13.4 
			 2000 1:12.6 
			 2001 1:11.8 
			 2002 1:10.1 
			 2003 1:7.9 
			 2004 1:7.5 
			 2005 1:6.7 
		
	
	A survey was not completed in 1997 so there are no national figures for that year.

Connexions Card

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much her Department is planning to spend on the Connexions card in (a) 200506, (b) 200607, (c) 200708 and (d) 200809; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The amount budgeted in the Connexions Card contract is:
	
		
			  Amount ( millions) 
		
		
			 (a) 200506 14.949 
			 (b) 200607 15.028 
			 (c) 200708 15.185 
			 (d) 200809 11.492 
		
	
	The aims and direction of Connexions Card are being changed in light of the Youth Opportunity Card announced in Youth Matters. We will use experience of developing the Connexions Card to inform the development of the Youth Opportunities Card. A decision about the future of the Connexions Card will be made in the light of the evaluation of the Opportunity Card pilots.

Departmental Vehicles

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many vehicles for which the Department is responsible are fitted with retreaded tyres.

Maria Eagle: No vehicles for which the Department for Education and Skills has responsibility are fitted with retreaded tyres.

Deprivation Indicators

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the 20 local authority wards with the (a) highest and (b) lowest proportions of children (i) receiving free school meals and (ii) leaving school at the minimum age.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		(i) (a) The 20 local authority wards with the highest proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals(37)
		
			 District Ward Pupils known to be eligible for FSM Total pupils Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM 
		
		
			 Liverpool Princes Park 1,365 2,063 66.2 
			 Tower Hamlets Spitalfields and Banglatown 747 1,139 65.6 
			 Wirral Bidston and St James 1,695 2,603 65.1 
			 Tower Hamlets East India and Lansbury 1,407 2,163 65.0 
			 Tower Hamlets Bromley-by-Bow 1,423 2,213 64.3 
			 Tower Hamlets Whitechapel 967 1,510 64.0 
			 Tower Hamlets Bethnal Green South 1,315 2,055 64.0 
			 Tower Hamlets St Dunstan's and Stepney Green 1,570 2,468 63.6 
			 Tower Hamlets Shadwell 1,115 1,767 63.1 
			 Liverpool Central 354 564 62.8 
			 Tower Hamlets Limehouse 1,143 1,829 62.5 
			 Manchester Ardwick 1,178 1,889 62.4 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Grangetown 731 1,177 62.1 
			 Manchester Moss Side 1,461 2,361 61.9 
			 Manchester Hulme 647 1,049 61.7 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne Westgate 445 722 61.6 
			 Tower Hamlets Millwall 837 1,362 61.5 
			 Liverpool Everton 1,340 2,195 61.0 
			 Tower Hamlets Bethnal Green North 998 1,639 60.9 
			 Liverpool Kirkdale 1,298 2,140 60.7 
		
	
	(37) Includes five to 15-year-olds attending maintained primary, secondary, CTCs, academies, special and non-maintained special.
	Source:
	Annual School Census 2005 Final.
	
		(b) The 20(38) local authority wards with the lowest proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals(39)
		
			 District Ward Pupils known to be eligible for FSM Total pupils Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM 
		
		
			 Stafford Milford 0 503 0.0 
			 Aylesbury Vale Edlesborough 0 401 0.0 
			 South Northamptonshire Chase 0 399 0.0 
			 North Kesteven Cranwell and Byard's Leap 0 377 0.0 
			 Wycombe Lacey Green, Speen and the Hampdens 0 360 0.0 
			 York Heworth Without 0 357 0.0 
			 Three Rivers Chorleywood East 0 313 0.0 
			 Durham Neville's Cross 0 294 0.0 
			 Harrogate Washburn 0 275 0.0 
			 East Dorset Colehill West 0 265 0.0 
			 Boston South 0 256 0.0 
			 South Kesteven Witham Valley 0 250 0.0 
			 Daventry Walgrave 0 250 0.0 
			 Test Valley Harewood 0 243 0.0 
			 South Northamptonshire Astwell 0 242 0.0 
			 Chiltern Austenwood 0 238 0.0 
			 South Kesteven Hillsides 0 224 0.0 
			 Wycombe Hambleden Valley 0 223 0.0 
			 Aylesbury Vale Bierton 0 217 0.0 
			 Bromsgrove Woodvale 0 215 0.0 
		
	
	(38) A further 30 wards have 0 pupils known to be eligible for FSM. The wards listed above are those with the greatest number of pupils known not to be eligible for FSM.
	(39) Includes five to 15-year-olds attending maintained primary, secondary, CTCs, academies, special and non-maintained special.
	Source:
	Annual School Census 2005 Final.
	(ii) The earliest that a young person can leave school is on the last Friday in June after they turn 16. There is no information available on how many pupils leave from this point in the academic year. The most readily available figures are for young people in post-compulsory education at the end of the calendar year.
	The 20 local authorities (LAs) with the (a) highest and (b) lowest percentages of 16-year-olds not in post-compulsory education or work based learning (WBLe.g. apprenticeships) in 2003/04 are given in the following table. Participation estimates are not available below LA level or for individual inner London LAs.
	
		Table: Percentage of 16-year-olds not in education or WBL by LA, end 2003
		
			 Not in full-time education Not in education or WBL(40) 
			  Percentage  Percentage 
		
		
			 England 28 England 16 
			 Inner London(41) 25 Inner London(41) 18 
			 
			 20 highest:
			 Barnsley 41 Barnsley 27 
			 Rochdale 39 Wakefield 26 
			 Leeds 39 Thurrock 26 
			 South Tyneside 38 Rochdale 25 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 38 Leeds 25 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 37 Derby 23 
			 Salford 37 Birmingham 23 
			 Wigan 37 Peterborough 23 
			 Doncaster 37 Southampton 23 
			 Wakefield 37 Medway 23 
			 Derby 37 Torbay 23 
			 Sandwell 37 Redcar and Cleveland 22 
			 Durham 36 Oldham 22 
			 Blackpool 36 Salford 22 
			 Kirklees 36 Doncaster 22 
			 Dudley 36 North East Lincolnshire 22 
			 Hartlepool 35 Telford and Wrekin 22 
			 Sunderland 35 Southend-on-Sea 22 
			 Oldham 35 St Helens 21 
			 St Helens 35 Tameside 21 
			 20 lowest:
			 Wiltshire 22 Cumbria 11 
			 Worcestershire 21 East Riding of Yorkshire 11 
			 Barnet 21 Warwickshire 11 
			 Croydon 21 Bedfordshire 11 
			 Reading 21 Hertfordshire 11 
			 Merton 20 Kingston upon Thames 11 
			 Surrey 19 Oxfordshire 11 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 19 Surrey 11 
			 Hertfordshire 18 Cambridgeshire 10 
			 Ealing 18 Brighton and Hove 10 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 18 North Yorkshire 9 
			 Enfield 17 Rutland 9 
			 Brent 16 Brent 9 
			 Kingston upon Thames 16 Harrow 8 
			 Waltham Forest 16 Wokingham 8 
			 Wokingham 16 Bath and North East Somerset 8 
			 Rutland 14 Enfield 7 
			 Harrow 14 Redbridge 7 
			 Redbridge 12 Richmond upon Thames 7 
			 Richmond upon Thames 11 Waltham Forest 7 
		
	
	(40) Total of all full-time and part-time education and WBL, less WBL provision in education institutions.
	(41) Inner London LAs have been excluded from this analysis, as only total figures are available.
	Source:
	This information is taken training by 16 and 17-year-olds in from the latest Statistical First Release Participation in education and each local area in England.

Detentions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many detentions were issued in schools in Greater London in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Dyslexia

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many candidates received extra time due to dyslexia while sitting (a) GCSE and (b) GCE A/AS level examinations in 200304.

Jacqui Smith: These data are not collected by the Department because the figures available for the number of candidates who received extra time while sitting GCSE and GCE A/AS level examinations is not broken down by disability or qualification.

Educational Maintenance Allowance

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received from providers of Work-Based Learning about the replacement of training allowances with educational maintenance allowances; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Department has received a small number of letters from providers who have made representations through their local Members of Parliament. Each correspondent has received a full response outlining details of the reforms. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is leading on implementing the reforms and received one representation from the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) in July 2005. The LSC has invited the ALP to join the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Management Board and has consulted a range of providers through visits, workshops and attending Work Based Learning Provider meetings.
	The extension of EMA to unwaged trainees should not be regarded as simply the replacement of the training allowance by EMA. It is a full package of financial support which will extend EMA to unwaged trainees and extend child benefit and child tax credit to their parents/carers. This will mean more money for the majority of unwaged trainees and their families, which are typically low to middle income households. Currently, the parents/carers of unwaged trainees cannot claim child benefit for them and lose income tested family benefits because the training allowance is treated as income for benefit assessment purposes. Those young people who are estranged from their parents/carers, and entitled to claim benefits in their own right, will also be much better off as they will be able to claim income support in addition to their EMA. Currently, these young people lose out because the training allowance is treated as income in assessing their entitlement to income support.
	There was strong support from many respondents to the Government's public consultation in 2004 to extend the same package of support to unwaged trainees as was currently available to those who stay on in full time education.

Examinations

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many A and A* grades at GCSE were achieved in schools serving the 2,000 most deprived wards in the country in each year from 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The following table gives the numbers of A* and A grades in GCSEs achieved by students in schools in the 25 per cent. most deprived super output areas 1 .
	
		
			  A* A 
		
		
			 2004 33,146 80,210 
			 2003 28,654 76,520 
			 2002 29,675 74,377 
			 2001 28,253 72,144 
			 2000 25,730 67,670 
			 1999 23,573 65,871 
			 1998 21,778 61,010 
			 1997 17,036 52,549 
		
	
	(42) Deprivation classified within the English Indices of Deprivation.
	Note:
	These figures relate to full course GCSEs only.

Examinations

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to complete its review of coursework; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The 1419 Implementation Plan will set out the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's timetable for completing the review of coursework. The implementation plan will be published later this autumn.

Foreign Languages

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the numbers of pupils learning a foreign language at (a) primary and (b) secondary level.

Jacqui Smith: In March 2005 the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced 115 million Boost for Modern Foreign Languages, providing support for language teaching and learning for this and the next 2 years.
	For primary schools the funding will provide continuing support for initial and existing teacher training as well as training for support staff. To date we have trained 1,200 new primary teachers with a specialism in languages. Next month we will publish in hard copy and online our Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages, which sets out learning objectives for the four years of Key Stage 2. It will be supported by training, guidance and a planning tool.
	The funding will support new approaches for teaching and learning for 1118 year olds, including alternative qualifications and vocational options at Key Stage 4 which will provide more flexibility for pupils in their studies. We have expanded the list of qualifications that count towards performance table scores to include more language qualifications.
	The funding will also allow language colleges to extend the role they play in supporting local primary and secondary schools in delivering language programmes. Last month the new languages recognition scheme, the Languages Ladder, became available nationally. The scheme can be used by learners of all ages and is available in eight languages. The scheme differs from existing approaches to assessment in that there are separate qualifications in each language for reading, writing, listening and speaking. To date more than 250 centresincluding local authorities and Specialist Language Collegeshave registered to take part in the scheme.

Free School Meals (Meriden)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schoolchildren in Meriden are eligible for free school meals; and what the take-up has been in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools(43): school meal arrangements(44)Meriden parliamentary constituency 19972005Position in January each year
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary 
			  Number on roll Number of pupils taking free school meals(45) Percentage of pupils taking free school meals(45) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
		
		
			 1997 11,870 2,196 18.5 2,554 21.5 
			 1998 12,264 1,967 16.0 2,331 19.0 
			 1999 12,508 1,817 14.5 2,208 17.7 
			 2000 12,288 1,686 13.7 2,208 18.0 
			 2001 12,261 1,555 12.7 2,169 17.7 
			 2002 11,872 1,487 12.5 1,858 15.7 
			 2003 11,587 1,354 11.7 1,776 15.3 
			 2004 11,238 1,315 11.7 1,758 15.6 
			 2005 11,096 1,242 11.2 1,689 15.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary 
			  Number on roll Number of pupils taking free school meals(45) Percentage of pupils taking free school meals(45) Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
		
		
			 1997 6,712 916 13.6 1,286 19.2 
			 1998 6,820 857 12.6 1,284 18.8 
			 1999 6,960 814 11.7 1,183 17.0 
			 2000 7,278 843 11.6 1,289 17.7 
			 2001 7,413 837 11.3 1,369 18.5 
			 2002 7,516 786 10.5 1,213 16.1 
			 2003 7,621 794 10.4 1,224 16.1 
			 2004 7,611 786 10.3 1,276 16.8 
			 2005 7,444 783 10.5 1,241 16.7 
		
	
	(43) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(44) Prior to 2003 Number on roll includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are sole registered, excluding boarding pupils. Due to underlying changes in data collection, this coverage was extended to also include all pupils with dual (main) registration and boarding pupils from 2003.
	(45) Based upon school level numbers of pupils who had a free school meal on 20 January 2005.

Free School Meals (Meriden)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schoolchildren in Meriden receive free school meals, broken down by school.

Jacqui Smith: Information on school meals for each maintained nursery, primary and secondary school in Meriden parliamentary constituency is shown in the table.
	
		Meriden parliamentary constituency: school meal arrangements(46)January 2005
		
			  School name Number on roll Number of pupils taking free school meals Percentage of pupils taking free school meals Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
		
		
			 104041 Coppice Junior School 272 8 2.9 17 6.3 
			 104044 Dorridge Junior School 384 4 1.0 4 1.0 
			 104045 Dorridge Nursery and Infant School 320 9 2.8 9 2.8 
			 104059 Balsall Common Primary School 674 6 0.9 7 1.0 
			 104060 Marston Green Junior School 276 13 4.7 18 6,5 
			 104061 Kingshurst Junior School 254 59 23.2 85 33.5 
			 104062 Kingshurst Infant School 252 47 18.7 60 23.8 
			 104064 Hockley Heath Primary School 225 (47) (47) (47) (47) 
			 104065 Tidbury Green School 343 6 1.7 10 2.9 
			 104066 Castle Bromwich Junior School 474 52 11.0 64 13.5 
			 104067 Castle Bromwich Infant School 426 39 9.2 51 12.0 
			 104068 Bennetts Well Junior and Infant School 211 60 28.4 76 36.0 
			 104069 Alcott Hall Junior and Infant School 243 73 30.0 106 43.6 
			 104070 Coleshill Heath School 415 94 22.7 127 30.6 
			 104071 Windy Arbor Junior and Infant School 293 58 19.8 92 31.4 
			 104073 Marston Green Infant School 307 12 3.9 15 4.9 
			 104074 Cheswick Green Primary School 209 6 2.9 7 3.3 
			 104077 Yorkswood Primary School 333 100 30.0 136 40.8 
			 104083 Bosworth Wood Primary School 393 84 21.4 129 32.8 
			 104087 Meriden Church of England Primary School 208 5 2.4 5 2.4 
			 104088 Bentley Heath Church of England Primary School 441 8 1.8 9 2.0 
			 104093 Berkswell Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School 221 4 1.8 5 2.3 
			 104094 George Fentham Endowed School 205 17 8.3 19 9.3 
			 104095 Lady Katherine Leveson Church of England School 180 4 2.2 5 2.8 
			 104096 St. Patrick's CofE Junior and Infant School 301 7 2.3 8 2.7 
			 104097 St. Mary and St. Margarets Church of England Aided Primary School 248 21 8.5 22 8.9 
			 104101 St. George and St. Teresa Catholic Primary School 218 (47) (47) (47) (47) 
			 104103 St. Anthony's Catholic Primary School 232 43 18.5 53 22.8 
			 104104 St. Anne's Catholic Primary School 355 42 11.8 47 13.2 
			 104105 Bishop Wilson Church of England Primary School 424 99 23.3 133 31.4 
			 104106 St. Patrick's Catholic Primary School 209 31 14.8 42 20.1 
			 104107 St. John The Baptist Catholic Primary School 206 49 23.8 56 27.2 
			 104111 Arden School 1,221 8 0.7 13 1.1 
			 104115 Heart of England School 1,243 33 2.7 37 3.0 
			 104116 Park Hall School 1,507 159 10.6 237 15.7 
			 104117 Whitesmore School 1,115 220 19.7 306 27.4 
			 104118 Smith's Wood School 1,124 198 17.6 385 34.3 
			 104120 The Archbishop Grimshaw Catholic School 1,234 165 13.4 263 21.3 
			 104121 Hatchford Community Primary School 452 101 22.3 148 32.7 
			 131292 Knowle Church of England Primary School 462 6 1.3 8 1.7 
			 131502 Kingfisher Primary School 281 69 24.6 110 39.1 
			 133720 Dickens Heath Community Primary School 149 3 2.0 3 2.0 
		
	
	(46) Including dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.
	(47) Less than three pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census

Free School Meals (Meriden)

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schoolchildren in Meriden whose families are in receipt of child tax credit are eligible for free school meals.

Jacqui Smith: The information is not collected centrally.
	Free school lunch eligibility covers children whose parents receive:
	Income support (IS);
	Income based jobseekers allowance (IBJSA);
	Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
	Child tax credit, provided they are not entitled to working tax credit and have an annual income, as assessed by the Inland Revenue that does not exceed 13,910 (2005/06 FY);
	Guaranteed element of State pension credit.
	Children receiving IS or IBJSA in their own right are also entitled to a free school lunch.

GCSE Results

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people have failed to gain A*-C grade at both GCSE English and mathematics in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested on the number failing to gain A*-C in GCSE English and mathematics can be found as follows.
	
		Number of 15-year-olds not achieving A*-C in GCSE English and maths
		
			  Total 15-year-olds (thousand) Not achieved grades A*-C (thousand) Not achieved grades A*-C (percentage) 
			  Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total 
		
		
			 2004 327.4 316.2 643.6 196.5 165.0 361.5 60 52 56 
			 2003 317.5 304.6 622.1 192.9 161.9 354.8 61 53 57 
			 2002 309.7 296.8 606.6 186.5 157.0 343.6 60 53 57 
			 2001 307.9 295.5 603.3 190.6 160.3 350.8 62 54 58 
			 2000 295.5 284.8 580.4 184.1 157.2 341.4 62 55 59 
			 1999 297.1 283.9 581.0 189.0 160.5 349.5 64 57 60 
			 1998 293.6 281.6 575.2 192.0 164.0 356.0 65 58 62 
			 1997 299.5 287.3 586.8 199.2 171.5 370.7 67 60 63

GCSE Results

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what policies the Government have in place to improve boys' GCSE examination results; and how much funding has been allocated for such policies in 200506.

Jacqui Smith: The Secondary National Strategy for School Improvement is responsible for raising standards for all pupils, including boys, across the 1116 age range. A key focus of the strategy is to support schools to improve the quality of teaching and learning by giving careful attention to the learning needs of individual pupils, particularly those who are underachieving. The strategy has produced some materials aimed at improving core literacy and numeracy skills amongst boys. In 200506 we will be investing a total of 156 million to support schools and local authorities in raising standards for all pupils through the Secondary National Strategy.
	The Department also supports a range of other initiatives aimed at raising the attainment of boys. For example, the Breakthrough Programme for Raising Boys' Achievement, in partnership with the National Primary Care Trust, focuses on sustainable changes to teaching and learning systems to help achieve pupils' potential. Playing for Success Centres use football and other sports to boost skills and motivation amongst pupils, particularly boys.

Grandparents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to introduce an allowance for grandparents who are permanent carers for their grandchildren where the parents are unable to care for the children.

Maria Eagle: Grandparents caring for children who are looked after by the local authority are already entitled to receive an allowance in the same way as any other foster carer.
	Where a child is not looked after by the local authority, grandparents may claim the same benefits and tax credits as any other carer of a child aged under 16 (including child benefit and child tax credits).
	If a child is determined to be a child in need, following an assessment by a local authority in accordance with the framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families, the local authority may then provide support to meet those needs, in accordance with its responsibilities set out in section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
	Local authorities may also pay an allowance to grandparents who have a residence order in respect of a child that they are looking after.
	Where a child is orphaned or one parent has died and the other is missing, in prison (with at least two years to serve) or detained in hospital by the order of a court a carer may claim a guardian's allowance from the Inland Revenue.

Grandparents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate her Department has made of the number of children who are cared for permanently by their grandparents.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect information by which an estimate could be made of the number of children who are cared for permanently by their grandparents.

Grandparents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many grandparents in England have (a) residence orders, (b) registered foster caring agreements, (c) guardianship status and (d) private arrangements in place for raising grandchildren full time.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The Department for Education and Skills does not collect information on the number of grandparents who have residence orders, are the subject of registered foster caring agreements, have guardianship arrangements or who have private arrangements in place for raising grandchildren full time.

Grandparents

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to ensure that grandparents who are raising their grandchildren full time receive the financial help to which they are entitled.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 20 October 2005
	Grandparents may seek advice on their entitlement to financial support from a range of sources including their local Jobcentre Plus, their local HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Enquiry Centre, the HMRC tax credits helpline, the Pension Service and their local authority. Information is also provided on the Directgov website.
	Grandparents may also contact one of the voluntary organisations that provide advice and assistance to grandparents and to others caring for a child who is not their own.

History Curriculum

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will consider integrating black history into the national history curriculum.

Jacqui Smith: The national curriculum programme of study for history includes a statutory requirement for all pupils to be taught about the social, cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of the societies studied, both in Britain and the wider world. We strongly believe that the curriculum is flexible enough to reflect the needs of all pupils, including those with an ethnic minority heritage.
	There is also guidance available to teachers. The QCA 'Respect for All' website and the history schemes of work both include guidance on how to include a multi-ethnic dimension to the teaching of history. QCA are also in the process of putting together a national bibliography of resources to support the teaching of black and multi-ethnic aspects of history.

Home Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school-age children are receiving education at home.

Jacqui Smith: Children receive education at home in a range of different circumstances. Their parents may exercise their right to educate them in the home on a temporary or permanent basis. Other alternative education provision, which may include home tuition for children unable to attend schoolfor example through illnessis arranged at local level and is usually a temporary measure.
	Local authorities have a duty to ensure that all children of compulsory school age in their locality receive a suitable full-time education. We do not collect information about the numbers of children who receive education at home, and it would be impractical to do so given the transient nature of much of this type of provision.

LEA Funding

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of migration into a local education authority on per capita funding for that LEA.

Jacqui Smith: The funding for each local authority through the current Schools Formula Spending Share system depends mainly on the number of pupils in that authority's schools. Thus if more pupils cross authority borders to join schools in a particular authority, then that authority will receive more funding. The same principle will work with the Dedicated Schools Grant, to be introduced from April 2006.

Looked-after Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to introduce nutrition standards for meals provided in (a) children's homes and (b) other accommodation for looked-after children.

Jacqui Smith: Standards and guidance already exist aimed at ensuring food provided to looked-after children in children's homes is of an adequate standard. The National Minimum Standards for Children's Homes under section 23(1) of the Care Standards Act 2000 require that
	children are provided with adequate quantities of suitably prepared food and drink having regard to their needs and wishes, and have the opportunity to shop for and prepare their own meals.
	In addition, nutritional and practical guidelines were issued by The Caroline Walker Trust in conjunction with the Department of Health, Food Standards Agency and British Heart Foundation in Eating well for looked-after children and young people. Early this year we issued Healthy Care publications with the National Children's Bureau. The publications include Healthy Care Briefings which address food and training materials for use with foster carers and residential social workers, to improve the understanding of the role of carers in promoting children's health and well-being.
	A review of all National Minimum Standards for children's services is planned and nutrition for looked after children will be considered as part of that exercise.

Looked-after Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has commissioned on the outcomes for looked-after children at various stages in their lives after they have left the care system; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 14 October 2005
	Transitional Support for Care Leavers: An Evaluation of Costs and Outcomes is the most recent research commissioned by the Department on the outcomes for care leavers. The study, led by the university of York, investigated the plans and support for young people aged 1619 who were in the process of leaving the care of seven local authorities. The study is currently being written up for publication and will be published in 2006. In addition, Professor Harriet Ward and her colleagues at Loughborough university are about to undertake a new research study, Looking After Children: Cohort Studies. These cohort studies will follow up a sample of care leavers approximately two years after they have ceased to be looked after.

Mathematics Centre of Excellence

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the new National Centre of Excellence in Maths Teaching.

Jacqui Smith: The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, being established as part of the Government's response to Professor Adrian Smith's report 'Making Mathematics Count', will help to improve children's and young people's enjoyment of and attainment in mathematics by improving the skills and knowledge of their teachers.
	Working closely with other partners, including the Training and Development Agency for Schools and the National Strategies, the National Centre will support, broker and quality assure continuing professional development, it will build on and enhance existing provision as well as identifying gaps and needs and developing appropriate solutions. It will have a role in stimulating demand among teachers.
	My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education announced the successful bidder for the National Centre on 6 October 2005. Contract negotiations are now under way and the centre is expected to launch in the summer of 2006.

Ministerial Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many air miles were accrued through departmental ministerial travel in 200405, broken down by Minister; how many were (a) foregone and (b) donated to charity, broken down by charity; and whether air miles accrued by officials were required to be (i) foregone and (ii) given to charity.

Maria Eagle: The information on the number of air miles accrued is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Ministerial travel is conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers. Guidance for Ministers on the use of air miles is set out in the Ministerial Code. The guidance makes clear that air miles should be used only for official purposes or else foregone. However, if it is impracticable to use the benefits for Government travel, there is no objection to Ministers donating them to charity if this is permissible under the terms of the airline's scheme and the charity is one chosen by the airline.
	Similar rules are in place for officials.

Missing Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were reported as missing (a) in England and Wales and (b) for each police authority in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Statistics on the numbers of all children who are reported as missing are not collected centrally. We do know that around 800900 children are reported missing from care each year in England. Children's Society estimates that each year in the UK 100,000 children run away or are forced to leave home to escape problems.
	The Home Office has been working with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Missing Persons Helpline to establish joint working arrangements to improve the recording, sharing and exchange of information, to improve the way in which missing persons are dealt with, and to inform our understanding of the problem in order to develop strategies to address it. Part of this work includes establishment of a comprehensive national police database of missing and unidentified people reported either to the police or the Helpline.
	Responsibility for relevant figures in Wales is a matter for the administration for Wales.

National Centre for Languages

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the position of the UK in the recent report by the National Centre for Languages.

Jacqui Smith: We are aware of the booklet, 'Talking World Class', published by CILT, the National Centre for Languages and how it highlights the impact of language skills on the UK economy and questions how well equipped UK companies are to do business in other languages. One feature of the booklet is the survey which shows an aggregate of non-mother tongue skills in each of the participating 28 countries.
	Our National Languages Strategy, published in December 2002, recognises the critical role that business can play in influencing young people's career choices, extending opportunities and promoting the value and importance of languages in the workplace. That is why we have funded CILT, the National Centre for Languages to work with employers to embed language skills into wider social and economic agendas, to extend employer engagement, and to stimulate and support the match of need by provision of training for their employees.
	CILT is also funded by the Sector Skills Development Agency to create a Languages Strategy for the Skills for Business Network to ensure that Sector Skills Councils and employers take languages into account in their business planning.
	The Department has also funded the British Chambers of Commerce to manage a programme of regional seminars to promote the value of languages for small and medium sized business and to raise the profile of the National Languages Strategy and the Regional Languages Networks with employers across the country.
	To raise awareness among young people of how languages can increase their employability prospects the Department has funded CILT to publish a suite of materialsLanguages Work. A key purpose of the materials is to make sure that key stage 3 pupils understand the importance of language skills in today's workplace and to provide them with the information about possible careers with languages so that they can make an informed choice about continuing to learn languages at key stage 4 and beyond. The cornerstone of our National Languages Strategy is to provide all pupils throughout key stage 2 with the opportunity to learn languages by the end of the decade. By introducing languages at an early age we believe that more young people will be enthused to choose to continue to learn languages beyond age 14, benefit from acquiring these marketable skills in their working lives and contribute to the country's global competitiveness.

National Contact Centres

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she has taken to monitor and assess (a) funding arrangements and (b) performance of the national contact centres.

Maria Eagle: As part of the 2002 Spending Review, the Government allocated 3.5 million to develop child contact centres. Of this, approximately 2.5 million was allocated to establish 14 new supervised child contact centres in England. Funding is administered and monitored on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills through the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) and the National Children's Homes (NCH). From the 3.5 million, approximately 0.5 million was allocated to support NACCC in implementing a set of national accreditation standards for all its member centres and to fund training for the 14 new centres. The Department made available in 200405 and 200506 a fund of 0.4 million to help sustain existing child contact centres. This is also administered by NACCC.
	Both NACCC and the NCH are required to submit reports to the Department on each of the 14 centres against agreed performance measures, including the numbers of referrals. The National Association of Child Contact Centres takes responsibility for the collection of statistics, which enables it to develop an informed national perspective. A further sum totalling 7.5 million has been allocated for the period 200607 to 200708 for services which support child contact, including those delivered by child contact centres. The DFES will be working with CAFCASS, the National Association of Child Contact Centres and other service providers to identify options for the most effective use of these resources.

Outdoor Learning

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made with the guidance on outdoor learning; and what steps she is taking to ensure that children from low income families are not excluded from participating in out of school learning because of cost.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 October 2005
	As part of the emerging Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom, we shall consult shortly on a reminder to schools about visit safety. It will remind school staff that, when they follow employers' guidance and take reasonable care, not only do they keep pupils safe, but also the law protects staff if a pupil is harmed despite their care. Schools already make good use of our extensive and widely-welcomed guidance on visit safety.
	A working group has been set up to look at overcoming barriers for children who are more likely to be excluded from school trips, including those from low income families. The recommendations of the working group will be reported in December and will help shape the final Manifesto to be published in spring 2006.

Phonics Teaching

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  on what criteria her decision to review the teaching of phonics was based; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on proposed changes to the National Literacy Strategy.

Jacqui Smith: The Government are committed to promoting approaches to the teaching of literacy that draw upon the most reliable advice and evidence available. As part of this commitment and because of strong public debate about the teaching of reading, we asked Jim Rose to conduct a review of best practice in the teaching of early reading, including the place of phonics. This will provide independent advice to build on the success of the National Literacy Strategy (now part of the Primary National Strategy) and to help ensure even more children make progress with reading.
	During 2006, the Primary National Strategy will review the frameworks for teaching literacy and mathematics to ensure they reflect the most recent and relevant research and information. This work will be aligned with the development of the Early Development and Learning Framework to ensure a consistent approach from birth to age 11. The review of the Literacy Framework will draw on the findings of Jim Rose's review and on a wide-ranging consultation with practitioners and expert groups.

Polling Stations in Schools

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has given regarding the closure of schools for use as polling stations.

Jacqui Smith: The use of schools as polling stations is provided for in the Parliamentary Election Rules contained in Schedule 1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 (which, in this respect, apply also to local government elections). These provide that Returning Officers have discretion to select schools as the venues of polling stations.
	Information on the closure of schools for polling stations is available on the DfES Teachernet website. This states that if the area to be used for polling purposes can be isolated from the remainder of the school and has its own entrance, the school can continue to operate, otherwise it must close. Schools affected can move to alternative premises, or the governors must make reasonable efforts to make up the lost day, perhaps at the beginning/end of term.
	This information and a list of frequently asked questions on the subject are available at:
	http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/atoz/p/pollingstations/index.cfm

Pre-school Places

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free (a) nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) 3 and (ii) 4-year-olds in Pudsey in each of the last 10 years.

Beverley Hughes: All 4-year-olds have been entitled to a free early education place since 1998 and from April 2004 this entitlement was extended to all 3-year-olds. The free entitlement consists of a minimum of five two and a half hour sessions per week for 33 weeks of the year for six terms before statutory school age, which is the term following their fifth birthday.
	Some local authorities may additionally offer subsidised child care places but this information is not collected centrally.
	Figures for January 2005 show that all 4-year-old children receive some form of free entitlement. The figure for 3-years-olds is 96 per cent. This covers all maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers and represents 535,100 3-year-olds and 568,300 4-year-olds.
	Information on the number free nursery education places taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds in Pudsey parliamentary constituency area is only available for January 2004 and 2005. These figures are shown in the table. The available information for Leeds local education authority area since 1997 is also shown.
	The latest figures on early education places for 3 and 4-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 43/2005 Provision for children under five years of age in EnglandJanuary 2005 (final) in September, which is available on my Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(48) taken up 3 and 4-year-olds, Leeds local authority
		
			  3-year-olds 4 year olds 
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools(49) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3-year- olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(50) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 6,100 n/a 6,100 n/a n/a (51)8,800 
			 1998 6,100 n/a 6,100 n/a n/a (51)8,900 
			 1999 6,200 n/a 6,200 n/a n/a (51)8,700 
			 2000 5,900 (52)1,800 7,700 n/a n/a (51)8,700 
			 2001 5,600 (52)1,800 7,400 n/a n/a (51)8,400 
			 2002 5,400 (52)2,000 7,400 7,400 (51)800 8,200 
			 2003 5,200 (52)2,000 7,200 7,300 (53)870 8,100 
			 2004 4,900 (54)2,100 7,000 7,100 (55)870 8,000 
			 2005 4,900 (54)2,200 7,100 6,700 (55)820 7,600 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(48) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(49) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(50) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(51) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(52) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(53) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(54) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(55) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(56) taken up by 3 and 4-year-olds, Pudsey parliamentary constituency
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			 Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools(57) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(58) Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(59) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(60) Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 2004 670 320 990 1,100 140 1,200 
			 2005 620 410 1,030 990 160 1,100 
		
	
	(56) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(57) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(58) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(59) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(60) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department doesn't publish population figures for individual age cohorts at sub-national level because of the unreliability of the underlying population estimates. The Office for National Statistics publish sub-national population estimates in five-year age bands.

Pupil Absences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in each local education authority have been removed from the admissions register because of (a) extended family holidays and (b) long-term absence in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 20 October 2005
	My Department does not collect information on the reasons why pupils are removed from schools admissions and attendance registers.

Pupil Assaults

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many incidents of violence towards teachers by pupils there were in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: Injuries at work due to violence, which result in absence for more than three days, are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR95). Figures for England show that there have been no fatal injuries to teachers since recording began under RIDDOR95. Since 2001 it has been possible to identify more serious but non-fatal injuries to teachers resulting from violence by pupils and the figures for each year are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001/02 50 
			 2002/03 94 
			 2003/04 47 
		
	
	Figures for 2004/05 are not yet available. In 2003/04 there was a change in the employer database against which injury reports are assigned. This has affected the profile of injury numbers within the public sector, and accounts for some of the reduction in the number of injuries in education in 2003/04.
	One assault is one too many. But in a school system with about 750,000 staff and 7 million pupils these are relatively low numbers.

Runaway Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to ensure that the inspection of services and delivery within the Staying Safe Framework specifically asks questions about how the needs of runaway children are being met.

Maria Eagle: When looking at children's services, inspectors will be making judgements on whether the services are effective in establishing the identity and whereabouts of all children and young people aged 0 to 16. Inspectors will seek evidence that there are secure systems to ensure that all children and young people are known to health and education services, and that there are secure arrangements for sharing information when children and young people move across areas, including to unknown destinations.

Schools

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department takes to ensure that children without a place at the beginning of the school year are provided for by local education authorities.

Jacqui Smith: Legislation places a duty on individual local authorities to ensure that there are sufficient schools for every child of compulsory school age in their area. They must take anticipatory action when they consider that this may not be the case.

Schools

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with local authorities in London to determine the effectiveness of this year's secondary school application procedure.

Jacqui Smith: Lord Adonis, who is Minister with responsibility for London school admission issues, has taken a keen interest in this year's admissions process. School admission is one of the issues he has discussed in meetings with directors of education and directors of childrens services. The Pan London Co-ordinated Admissions Programme Board has also reported to him on the first year's operation of the system it implemented to facilitate exchange of information between local authorities, to ensure that as many children as practicable could be offered a secondary school place on 1 March. Despite some IT problems, the system was successful in reducing the volume of multiple offers that many parents would previously have held, while others received none. Local authorities reported that at least 40 per cent. fewer children were without the offer of a place on 1 March than at the same stage in the previous year.

Schools

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were left without a place in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools (i) at the beginning of the 200506 academic year and (ii) in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: These data are not collected centrally. Individual local authorities may have information. Secondary co-ordination has eliminated multiple offers of places so that more children have been offered a secondary school place on the national offer date compared with the same stage in the process in previous years.

Schools

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to improve the ability of secondary schools to satisfy parental choice in admissions.

Jacqui Smith: We have already taken steps to maximise parental satisfaction with the admissions process. Co-ordination of the secondary school admissions process has resulted in most multiple offers of school places being eliminated, resulting in a greater number of children being made an offer of a school place than would have received them at the same stage in the process in earlier years. Additionally, we have included a number of proposals in the draft School Admissions Code of Practice to make the system more transparent and fairer for parents. The intention is to put parents at the centre of the admissions process and to give them a greater choice as to where their children go to school, which can only be a good thing.
	We also believe that allowing successful and popular schools to expand more quickly and more easily gives schools freedom to strengthen and develop in the direction they think appropriate in order to meet the needs of their local communities. That is why, as part of a broad spectrum of reform, we introduced new regulations in August to streamline the process for those schools that decide they have the capacity to expand.

Schools

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children in the Waverley borough council area left school at the minimum age in each of the last five years, broken down by ward.

Jacqui Smith: The earliest that a young person can leave school is on the last Friday in June after they turn 16. There is no information available on how many pupils leave from this point in the academic year. The most readily available figures are for young people in post-compulsory education at the end of the calendar year.
	The percentage of 16-year-olds not in post-compulsory education or work based learning (WBLe.g. apprenticeships) in Surrey local authority (LA) is given in the table. Figures are provided for 1999/2000 to 2003/04 (the latest available). Participation estimates are not available below LA level.
	
		Participation by 16-year-olds in Surrey LA -- Percentage
		
			 As at end of the calendar year: 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(61) 
		
		
			 Full-time education 82 83 81 81 81 
			 Work based learning (WBL) 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Part-time education 3 3 3 4 4 
			 Total in education and WBL(62) 88 89 87 88 89 
			   
			 Not in full-time education 18 17 19 19 19 
			 Not in education or WBL 12 11 13 12 11 
		
	
	(61) Provisional.
	(62) Total of all full-time and part-time education and WBL, less WBL provision in education institutions.
	This information is taken from the latest Statistical First Release Participation in education and training by 16 and 17-year-olds in each local area in England.

Schools

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school nurses are employed by (a) each local authority and (b) individual schools in each authority; and how many vacancies there are in each authority.

Jacqui Smith: The majority of school nurses are currently employed and managed by the local NHS primary care trust, and therefore, information on school nurses is available from the Department of Health.
	They were counted fully for the first time in the September 2004 NHS workforce census, which showed that there were 2,409 qualified nurses working in school nursing, of whom 856 were qualified school nurses (headcount). The next count will be available from the September 2005 census, with results published in March 2006.
	Information from the NHS workforce census is not available at local authority and school level.
	Information on the rate of vacancies lasting three months or more for school nurses is collected in the NHS workforce vacancy survey. As at March 2005, the three month vacancy rate for school nurses in the NHS was 1.9 per cent., which is a fall from 2.2 per cent. the previous year.

Schools

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) pieces of (i) guidance and (ii) teaching material and (b) forms have been sent to (A) primary schools and (B) secondary schools in each of the last 20 months; and how many pages each document contained.

Jacqui Smith: The Department ceased sending publications automatically to both primary and secondary schools in England on a phased basis between April and December 2004. Discussions with local authorities and school head teachers and detailed research showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications (guidance, teaching materials and forms) they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.
	We have given schools this choice by introducing the online ordering system which enables schools to choose whether to download electronic copies or order the paper based publications they need at the right time for them and in the multiples they require. A fortnightly email service to schools informs them of new and important publications.
	The publications sent to schools in the months prior to the role out of the online ordering system are contained in Annex A.
	
		Annex A
		
			 Month Title Primary/Secondary 
		
		
			 Publications sent by the DfES to all schools in England in March to July 2004 
			 March Drugs: Guidance for schools Both 
			  Drugs: Guidance for schools (summary) Both 
			  Spectrum Both 
			  A day with Dad Both 
			  Write Here, Write Now Primary 
			  KS3 parents' evening pack Secondary 
			  EMA application forms Secondary 
			  1419 Reform: Interim progress report Secondary 
			
			 April Pupil participation guidanceWorking Together: Giving young people a say Both 
			  Spectrum Both 
			  National Primary Strategy: Progression in phonics Primary 
			
			 May Performance pay progression Both 
			  Spectrum Both 
			  Excellence and enjoyment: Learning and teaching in the primary years Primary 
			
			 June/July Spectrum Both 
			
			 Additional mailings to schools of a particular kind 
			 June Letter regarding changes in reporting arrangements Secondary (Specialist schools) 
		
	
	We do not keep a record of the total number of pages of each of these publications.

Schools

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications to increase pupil numbers school organisation committees have received in the last 12 months; and what the outcome was of each of these applications.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 October 2005
	We strongly support the expansion of successful and popular schools. We have therefore provided that all maintained schools, including maintained special schools, may publish their own proposals to increase pupil numbers. We have also introduced a presumption that proposals by successful and popular secondary schools should be approved by the local School Organisation Committee or Schools Adjudicator. This will enable more parents to be able to gain a place for their child at the school of their choice.
	In addition, as part of their strategic planning for Building Schools for the Future (BSF), authorities are required to draw up a vision for the future of education provision in the area. This vision needs to demonstrate that their planning maximises the opportunity for parents to place their children into the school of their choice, and reduces surplus places where parents do not wish to send their children. BSF provides an unprecedented opportunity to achieve this.
	Since the beginning of October 2004 the following proposals to increase pupil numbers by 27 or more places have been published.
	
		
			   Publication date   LEA name   School name  Current school phase Current admission numbers Proposed admission numbers   Decision maker/outcome 
		
		
			 20 October 2004 Kent Ellington School for Girls Secondary 90 120 LEA determined to implement 
			 1 December 2004 Newham Cumberland School Secondary 180 300 SOC approved 
			 25 February 2005 Wiltshire Bradon Forest School Secondary 224 252 Adjudicator conditional approval 
			 16 March 2005 Dorset Highcliffe School Secondary 216 243 Adjudicator rejected 
			 25 March 2005 Hertfordshire St Clement Danes VA Secondary School Secondary 178 208 SOC approved 
			 6 April 2005 Bradford Green Lane Primary School Primary 60 90 LEA determined to implement 
			 28 April 2005 Essex Helena Romanes School and 6th Form Centre Secondary 240 270 Awaiting decision 
			 25 May 2005 Hillingdon Haydon School Secondary 250 300 Awaiting decision 
			 12 August 2005 Norfolk Wymondham College Secondary 118 159 Awaiting decision 
			 9 October 2005 Poole Old Town First School and Nursery Primary 30 60 SOC approved

Schools

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures she has introduced to promote setting of classes; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: We have encouraged schools to use setting since 1997. In the reports from Ofsted we have seen the proportion of Key Stage 3 lessons which are set rise since 1997 to over a third now with greater rises in English and mathematics. The majority of English, mathematics, science and modern foreign language lessons in secondary schools are organised by setting.
	Through the Primary and Secondary National Strategies and in our Gifted and Talented programme we continue to offer guidance and support to schools on classroom practice so that they can make decisions about where and how to use pupil grouping and setting to best meet the learning needs of all their pupils.

Schools

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much capital funding was available to schools in (a) 200405 and (b) 200506, broken down by (i) modernisation funding, (ii) devolved formula capital, (iii) the Targeted Capital Fund, (iv) basic need funding, (iv) the School Access Initiative, (vi) Building Schools for the Future, (vii) expansion of popular and successful secondary schools and (viii) total capital funding; and what forecast she has made of funding in each category in (A) 200607 and (B) 200708.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		 million
		
			  Allocation Forecast allocation 
			 Description 200405 200506 200607 200708 
		
		
			 Modernisation 852 602 602 602 
			 Devolved Formula Capital 774 805 1,000 1,050 
			 Targeted Capital Fund(63) 186 200 275 550 
			 Building Schools for the Future(64) 1,121 2,118 2,177 2,240 
			 Successful and Popular Schools(65) 1 1 n/a n/a 
			 Other(66) 1,939 1,789 1,701 1,823 
			 Total Capital Funding 4,873 5,515 5,755 6,265 
		
	
	(63) The forecast Targeted Capital Fund figures for 200607 and 200708 represent a total allocation of 1.1 billion, phased over three years. The balance is to be allocated in 200809.
	(64) The Building Schools for the Future figures include PFI credits. The forecast figures for 200607 and 200708 represent available budget.
	(65) There is no forecast for Successful and Popular Schools as this is a demand led programme. The figures in the table represent incentive funding provided by the Department.
	(66) The Other line includes the following programmes; Voluntary Aided Schools, local authorities' Basic Need, Other ICT, Academies, smaller programmes.

Secondary Education Reform

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she plans to publish the implementation plan for the reform of 1419 education.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 October 2005
	The implementation plan will be published shortly. The plan will set action being taken now to raise 1419 participation and achievement; forthcoming changes to curriculum and qualifications; and changes to the delivery infrastructure.
	The plan will also include a clear timetable of next steps.

Secondary School Teachers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary school teachers have left the profession before completing five years of teaching (a) in total and (b) broken down by subject since 21 December 2004.

Jacqui Smith: Information for teachers leaving the profession is not available in the format requested.
	Provisional estimates for 2003/04 (the latest year for which data are available) indicate that of the 14,270 full-time regular teachers who left service from maintained secondary schools, 4,180 left before completing five years of teaching.
	The following table shows the subject of initial teacher training for these teachers.
	
		Full-time regular teachers who left service from maintained secondary schools in 2003/04, with less than five years service, by subject of qualification
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Total leavers 4,180 
			 Of which:  
			 English (including Drama) 670 
			 Science 630 
			 Modern foreign languages 460 
			 Mathematics 370 
			 Physical education 360 
			 Technology(67) 340 
			 History 230 
			 Geography 230 
			 Art 190 
			 Religious education 140 
			 Music 120 
			 None/Unknown 310 
			 Other(68) 130 
		
	
	(67) Technology includes Design and Technology, Information and Communications Technology and Business Studies.
	(68) Other includes Citizenship, Social Studies, Classics and Economics.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are provisional.
	2. The teaching service completed may not have been continuous or completed entirely in maintained secondary schools.
	Source:
	Database of Teacher Records.

Special Educational Needs

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been allocated to special needs provision in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is contained within the following table:
	
		
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs 
		
		
			 200102 23,452,000 
			 200203 29,012,000 
			 200304 32,374,000 
			 200405 41,529,000 
			 200506(69) 43,991,000 
		
	
	(69) The data is taken from section 52 Budget 200506 data is subject to change by the local authority.
	Notes:
	1. Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to primary and secondary schools identified as notional SEN and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools.
	2. The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against notional SEN are only indicative of the amount that might be spent by schools on SEN. In 200506, Suffolk local authority also budgeted 5 million for SEN transport expenditure but this is not included in the above table as figures are not available prior to 200506.
	3. Data reported in cash terms as reported by Suffolk local authority as at 18 October 2005 and are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds.

Special Educational Needs

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure adequate provision for special educational needs.

Maria Eagle: Local authorities have important and extensive duties to identify, assess and make provision for children with special educational needs and to keep their arrangements for doing so under review. Schools, early education settings, local authorities and others must have regard to the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, which gives guidance on carrying out their statutory duties under the 1996 Education Act.
	The Government published in February 2004 their SEN strategy Removing Barriers to Achievement, which sets out a long-term programme to improve SEN provision and to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEN. As part of this strategy, the Department is promoting more consistent practice through a team of national SEN advisers. The Advisers are providing support and challenge to local authorities on key SEN issues, including the management of provision for children with special needs.

Special Schools (Kent)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places at special schools in Kent there were in (a) 199798 and (b) 200405.

Maria Eagle: The available information is provided in the table and shows the maximum number of day pupils and the maximum number of boarding pupils for whom special schools are formally approved to make a provision.
	
		All special schools(70): number of pupils on roll and the maximum number of day and boarding pupils
		
			  Kent local authority 
			 Position as at January each year Number of pupils on roll(71) Maximum number of day pupils(72) Maximum number of boarding pupils(73) Total maximum number of day and boarding pupils 
		
		
			 1998(74) 3,530 2,960 929 3,889 
			 1999 3,199 2,624 987 3,611 
			 2005 2,950 2,877 629 3,506 
		
	
	(70) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(71) Number of solely registered pupils on roll in special schools at the time of the Census (includes both day and boarding pupils).
	(72) Maximum number of day pupils for whom special schools are formally approved to make a provision.
	(73) Maximum number of boarding pupils for whom special schools are formally approved to make a provision.
	(74) Before Local Government Reorganisation.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Teachers

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the criteria are for entry to the Graduate Training Programme for teachers; and whether previous teaching experience and qualifications are taken into account when considering applications.

Jacqui Smith: The conditions of entry to the Graduate Teacher Programme are the same as those for entrants to all courses of initial teacher training in England. These are laid down in the document Qualifying to teach: Professional Standards for Qualified Teacher Status and Requirements for Initial Teacher Training which can be seen at www.tda.gov.uk/qualifyingtoteach
	Teaching experience is desirable before entry to training, but is not a statutory entry requirement. Teaching and school experience is taken into account by employment-based and conventional teacher training providers when they make decisions about whom they accept onto programmes.

Teachers

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to increase the number of male teachers working in early years educational provision.

Jacqui Smith: We are fully committed to increasing the diversity of the early years workforce and, in particular, to increasing the proportion who are men. We made this very clear in our 10-year strategy for child care, Choice for parents: the best start for children published last December and again in our Children's Workforce Strategy published in April this year.
	We work closely with local authorities and other key partners such as Jobcentre Plus to support employers in recruiting early years workers. This includes several initiatives to help boost the number of men in the workforce. For example, earlier this year we undertook regional press and radio advertising which used positive images of men working in the sector. We have produced a video for men considering working in early years. We have also commissioned the Daycare Trust to work with local authorities to enhance their efforts to promote the recruitment of men in their local labour markets.

Teachers

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that qualified teachers from Australia and New Zealand are able to teach in England; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Under current regulations qualified teachers from Australia and New Zealand are able to teach in England for up to four years without gaining qualified teacher status (QTS). To continue teaching here for longer, they need to gain QTS.
	For those teachers who want to gain QTS, the Training and Development Agency for Schools operates the overseas trained teachers scheme which assesses individuals' closeness to QTS and the amount of training they will need to reach this standard.

Teachers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary school teachers teach the subject in which they undertook a degree; and how many teach a subject different from their degree qualification, broken down by degree subject.

Jacqui Smith: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the highest qualification held by secondary school teachers in the subjects that they taught in 2002, the latest year for which data are available.
	
		Teachers in serviceFull-time teachers in maintained secondary schoolsHighest post A level qualification(75)held in the subjects they teach(76) to year groups 713 -- EnglandPercentages(77)
		
			  Degree(78) BEd PGCE Cert. Ed. Other qual. No qual. Total teachers (000) 
		
		
			 Mathematics 423 152 92 71 21 242 28.2 
			 English 513 152 71 6l 11 202 29.4 
			 Combined/General Science 623 122 102 41 11 112 28.3 
			 Biology(79) 715 73 114 32 -1 73 5.6 
			 Chemistry(79) 725 63 124 11 11 73 5.2 
			 Physics(79) 636 114 154 32 -- 83 4.7 
			 Other Science(79) 106 44 54 -- -- 808 1.6 
			 French 543 72 102 31 21 233 16.0 
			 German 475 63 134 11 21 305 6.9 
			 Spanish 377 84 196 -- 32 337 3.6 
			 Other Modern Languages 188 -- 97 -- 34 7110 1.4 
			 Design and Technology(80) 263 203 72 213 21 243 20.9 
			 ICT (80)(5508210081) 132 61 82 21 31 693 18.9 
			 Other/Combined Technology(80) 3010 138 167 189 23 209 1.6 
			 Business Studies 305 114 93 42 32 435 6.5 
			 Classics 337 -- 24 2 -- 637 1.0 
			 History 574 92 62 62 -- 233 13.7 
			 Religious Education 223 82 82 41 21 574 14.2 
			 Geography 534 92 62 52 11 253 13.7 
			 Other Social Studies 355 63 22 21 -1 546 4.9 
			 Combined Arts/Humanities/Social Studies 53 42 73 11 11 835 5.3 
			 Music 595 154 52 63 22 134 6.3 
			 Drama 254 103 123 62 21 455 8.1 
			 Art and Design 544 103 72 93 11 204 9.3 
			 Physical Education 253 313 62 132 21 222 21.4 
			 Careers Education 22 12 33 44 34 877 1.5 
			 PSHE(81) 1- 1- 21 1- -- 951 61.4 
			 General Studies 11 21 11 -1 -- 952 7.1 
			 Citizenship 21 11 21 -1 -- 942 9.0 
			 Other   32.8 
			 Total(76)(5508210077) 33- 10- 7- 5- 1- 44- 388.4 
		
	
	(75) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd. in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.
	(76) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.
	(77) Confidence intervals exist around the estimated percentages due to the sample size of the survey.
	(78) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.
	(79) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.
	(80) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.
	(81) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.
	(82) 'Other' not included in total percentages.
	- equals zero or less than 0.5.
	Source:
	Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002
	A copy of this table is available as Table 24 of the Statistics of Education, School Workforce in England Volume, 2004 edition which has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Alternatively it may be accessed at the following URL:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000554/index. shtml.
	The table does not give an indication of the proportion of subject periods delivered by teachers with a degree in that subject or a related subject.
	Table 25 of the same publication provides the proportion of subject periods taught by highest level of qualification.

Teachers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in introducing arrangements to allow teachers to opt for salary sacrifice in order to obtain child care vouchers.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 September 2005 by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Children, Young People and Families column 2337W. This matter is still under consideration.

Travel to Schools

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average distance travelled by children to secondary school is in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Gravesham.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested has been provided in the following table.
	
		Average distance(83) travelled in miles by area of pupil residencysecondary(84) schools
		
			   Pupils aged 
			  All pupils 11 to 15 16 and over 
		
		
			 England 1.9 1.8 2.6 
			 Kent local authority 2.9 2.8 3.4 
			 Gravesham parliamentary  constituency 1.8 1.8 2.1 
		
	
	(83) Distances calculated are straight line and take no account of the route pupils follow in order to get to school.
	(84) Includes middle schools as deemed, CTCs and Academies
	Source:
	Annual School Census 2005 Final.

HEALTH

Academic Medical Centres

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress on identifying sites for the proposed academic medical centres.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The proposals set out in the Department's publication Best Research for Best Health: a new national health research strategy, have been the subject of a public consultation. The consultation period ended on 21 October 2005. A summary of the responses made to the Department's proposals and an outline of the next steps in the process, will be published by 30 November 2005.

Air Pollutants

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions have been reached by her Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants in its consideration of the case for guidance on indoor air quality, referred to in the introduction to the Building Research Establishment Report 450 published in 2002; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) has provided guidance on indoor air pollution; its advice has been published on COMEAP's website at http://www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/comeap/state.htm. For some pollutants, COMEAP found it possible to recommend guidelines; for others this was not possible.

Alzheimers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the recent changes in the provisions of medication for dementia sufferers in the Essex Strategic Health Authority area.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its initial advice for the treatment of Alzheimer's in 2001. NICE is currently reviewing this guidance and further details are available on its website at www.nice.org.uk.

Alzheimer's (Drugs)

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she has taken to ensure that the wider social implications of Alzheimer's drugs are fully taken into account by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 October 2005
	The detail of the appraisal methodology adopted by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is a matter for NICE itself. Information on NICE'S appraisal methodology is available on the NICE website at www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?0=654.
	The Department's response to NICE'S consultation on its latest draft appraisal of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease is available in the Library.

Anaemia

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of anaemia among under-18s were diagnosed in England in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table. Data are for all national health service hospitals in England.
	
		Finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for anaemia for patients under 18-years-old
		
			  FCE 
		
		
			 19992000 17,102 
			 200001 16,636 
			 200102 17,264 
			 200203 17,777 
			 200304 17,398 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital episode statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Authority Boundaries

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many strategic health authorities are proposing new primary care trust boundaries that extend beyond the geographic boundary of the strategic health authority.

Liam Byrne: Following the publication of Commissioning a Patient led NHS on 28 July, strategic health authorities (SHAs) will be submitting proposals to the Department for the configuration of their primary care trusts (PCTs) and for SHAs based on criteria set out in the document. The Department will consider the proposals and any proposed changes will require formal public consultation for three months from December. I am therefore unable to say what the configuration of PCTs and the new SHAs will be until the outcome of the statutory public consultation is known.

Avian Influenza

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that all English residents are protected in the case of an outbreak of avian influenza.

Caroline Flint: We are committed to ensuring that the Government is as prepared as possible for a flu pandemic.
	On 19 October, we published the revised UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan, which updates the version published in March 2005. The plan provides a framework which seeks to reduce the health impact of a pandemic and the possible disruption it may cause to essential services and people's daily lives.
	A key part of our preparedness plans is the purchase of 14.6 million treatment courses of antiviral drugsenough to treat the quarter of the population who may fall ill in a pandemic. We are also working closely with manufacturers to ensure that the United Kingdom will be able to obtain a specific pandemic vaccine when one becomes available and have issued a tender for 'sleeping contracts' which will ensure we receive vaccine as early as possible.
	The World Health Organisation considers the UK to be one of the best prepared countries in the world. However, we are continuing to develop our contingency plans to ensure that they are up to date and comprehensive.

Avian Influenza

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency planning has been undertaken in Somerset for an influenza pandemic; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 October 2005
	Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority (SHA) has advised that planning for an influenza pandemic is a high priority for organisations and agencies concerned with emergency health planning in Somerset.
	The SHA is leading the contingency planning on a multi-agency basis, which involves all primary care trusts (PCTs), national health service trusts, the Health Protection Agency, NHS Direct, Westcountry ambulance services NHS trust, Somerset county council and Avon and Somerset police.
	I understand that the planning process is building on the national guidance and the framework provided by the local government office. All PCTs and NHS trusts in Somerset are working to planning templates designed separately for the needs of primary care organisations, acute hospital trusts and mental health partnership trusts.

BCG Vaccinations

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which groups of children in schools in mid-Dorset and North Poole constituency will be offered BCG vaccinations; and whether parents of children who will not be offered the vaccination will be able to obtain the vaccination privately.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 October 2005
	On 6 July of this year, the Chief Medical Officer announced that the BCG vaccination programme in the United Kingdom would change, away from emphasis upon routine BCG vaccination in schools, to selective vaccination of high risk infants and other groups.
	The provision of BCG vaccination outside of the target groups is no longer national health service policy. However, any parent concerned about their child's health should seek advice from their general practitioner.

Bounty Company

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her officials have had with the Bounty Company about the extension of its use in hospital for the promotion of health messages.

Liam Byrne: Officials held discussions earlier this year with the Bounty Company to explore the possibility of distributing the Department's breastfeeding leaflet in Bounty packs. Following these discussions it was decided not to pursue this idea further.

Cancer

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-smokers died from lung cancer in the Essex strategic health authority in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Cancer

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely effects on patients in the East Worthing and Shoreham constituency of the proposed transfer of specialist treatment of oesophagal and gastric cancer from Worthing Hospital to Brighton.

Caroline Flint: It is the responsibility of the local national health service organisations in conjunction with their cancer networks to plan and develop cancer services, and ensure that existing services comply with national guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
	Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority has advised that the proposal to transfer the service from Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust to Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust was agreed by the Sussex cancer network policy board following extensive work with local NHS organisations and other stakeholders.
	I understand that this proposal will enable surgery to be performed in a cancer centre with the support of a full upper gastrointestinal, oesophagal, gastric and pancreatic, cancer multi-disciplinary team.

Cancer

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions exist on (a) the advertising of cures for cancer and (b) the reporting of items relating to cancer; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Restrictions on advertising cures of cancer are detailed in section 4(l) (a) of the 1939 Cancer Act
	No person shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement(a) containing an offer to treat any person for cancer, or to prescribe any remedy therefore, or to give any advice in connection with the treatment thereof.
	There are no such specific restrictions regarding the reporting of items relating to cancer.

Cancer

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people receiving cancer treatment have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act in each of the last five years for which records are available;
	(2)  what the known side effects relating to mental health are for each of the cancer drugs approved for use by the NHS.

Rosie Winterton: Cancer treatments can cause different reactions in different people. Where side effects are experienced, they will often be short term and will subside when treatment has ended.
	Psychological distress is common among people affected by cancer. In March 2004, the National Institute for Heath and Clinical Excellence produced guidance on supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer. The guidance sets out recommendations on the provision of psychological support services.
	Data on the number of people detained under the Mental Health Act while receiving treatment for cancer is not available.

Cancer

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer treatments have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Rosie Winterton: To date, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has appraised 16 cancer treatments, some for more than one type of cancer.
	The table shows the cancer treatments appraised by NICE in the past five years.
	Further details are available on the NICE website at: http://www.nice.org.uk.
	
		
			 Title Published 
		
		
			 Ovarian cancertaxanes (No. 3)obsolete, replaced by No. 55 May 2000 
			 Breast cancertaxanes (No. 6)obsolete, replaced by No. 30 June 2000 
			 Brain cancertemozolomide (No. 23) April 2001 
			 Pancreatic cancergemcitabine (No. 25) May 2001 
			 Lung cancerdocetaxel, paclitaxel, gemcitabine and vinorelbine (No. 26)obsolete, updated by and incorporated into the guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer (CG24) June 2001 
			 Ovarian cancertopotecan (No. 28)obsolete, replaced by No. 91 July 2001 
			 Leukaemia (lymphocytic)fludarabine (No. 29) September 2001 
			 Breast cancertaxanesreview (No. 30) September 2001 
			 Breast cancertrastuzumab (No. 34) March 2002 
			 Colorectal cancer (advanced)irinotecan, oxaliplatin and raltitrexed (No. 33) March 2002 
			 Lymphoma (follicular non-Hodgkin's)rituximab (No. 37) March 2002 
			 Ovarian cancer (advanced)pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride (No. 45)obsolete, replaced by No.91 July 2002 
			 Leukaemia (chronic myeloid)imatinib (No. 50) obsolete, replaced by No. 70 October 2002 
			 Breast cancervinorelbine (No. 54) December 2002 
			 Ovarian cancerpaclitaxel (review) (No. 55) January 2003 
			 Breast cancercapecitabine (No. 62) May 2003 
			 Colorectal cancercapecitabine and tegafur uracil (No. 61) May 2003 
			 Non-Hodgkin's lymphomarituximab (No. 65) September 2003 
			 Leukaemia (chronic myeloid)imatinib (No. 70) October 2003 
			 Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST)imatinib (No. 86) October 2004 
			 Ovarian cancer (advanced)paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride and topotecan (review) (No. 91) May 2005 
			 Colorectal cancer (advanced)irinotecan, oxaliplatin and raltitrexed (review) (No. 93) August 2005

Care Homes (Diet)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of expertise and training is required of Commission for Social Care Inspection inspectors on the management of nutrition and dietary care for older people in care homes.

Liam Byrne: I understand from the chief executive of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), that CSCI has developed guidance for inspectors in consultation with dietary experts, on the management of nutrition and dietary care for older people in care homes.
	As part of the continuous professional development for all inspectors, CSCI has established a learning resource centre, which gives inspectors access to a wide range of clinical and professional information. In addition, on a monthly basis specific care issues like the management of nutritional and dietary requirements are focused on, with electronic links provided to websites and articles providing updates on good practice.
	Inspectors will prompt the provider of a care home to seek input for people in their care from local national health service dieticians, if nutritional issues are identified during an inspection.
	The Chief of Nursing at CSCI has ongoing meeting with the nutritional advisory group for the elderly to discus a range of issues around nutrition.

Child Cancer Drugs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were treated for cancer with platinum based chemotherapy drugs in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: In the last five years there was one prescription issued for platinum based chemotherapy drugs by the national health service. Prescription information is not collected by age and therefore we cannot say if the prescription was for a child.

Child Prescriptions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which drugs have been prescribed to children by NHS doctors in the last 12 months which have not been licensed for children.

Jane Kennedy: The Department does not collect this information.

Cider and Perry

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will introduce minimum fruit content requirements for cider and perry.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The Government supports the principle of mandatory ingredient listing for all alcoholic drinks and awaits proposals from the European Commission on the review of food labelling legislation, which is expected to cover this issue. Full ingredient listing would include the requirement for a quantitative declaration of any fruit juice used as an ingredient in alcoholic drinks. There are no plans for separate proposals that would require a minimum fruit content for cider and perry.

Clinical Trials

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients taking a medicine as part of a clinical trial have the right to continue taking the medicine if clinically appropriate following its approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency if the medicine has not been subject to an appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Jane Kennedy: The Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 require that an application to an ethics committee for a trial must include information about plans for the treatment and care of patients once their participation in the trial has ended. The absence of an appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is not in itself a reason to stop providing a treatment to patients once a trial has ended.

Communicable Disease Control

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the responsibilities are of (a) health authorities and (b) local authorities in the area of communicable disease control.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The responsibilities of the health authorities (HAs) and local authorities (LAs) in the area of communicable disease control depends on the seriousness of the threat to health.
	In England, the HAs with responsibilities are the strategic health authorities (SHAs), national health service trustsprimary care trusts (PCTs), acute hospital trusts, ambulance trusts, mental health trustsand NHS Direct.
	In the event of an extreme example of a communicable disease outbreak, for example, pandemic influenza, the SHAs are responsible for:
	strategic control of any incident that affects or seems likely to affect a number of hospitals or have a significant impact on primary care;
	ensuring command and control structures are in place across the NHS within its area and have been tested;
	agreeing with Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the regional directors of public health (RDPHs) escalation triggers and mechanisms;
	ensuring escalation policies are clearly described, and that capacity plans are available;
	ensuring links within the NHS, with neighbouring SHAs, health regions or NHS boards, with RDPHs, the HPA and across into the other sectors, including social care, are effective and durable;
	ensuring local provision for an influenza pandemic;
	monitoring the plans of NHS organisations within its area;
	they may have to clarify which routine NHS targets can be dropped or modified, ie what business will not be continued 'as usual' in the event of a pandemic disrupting normal work.
	In addition, all NHS organisations should have contingency plans which cover:
	the command and control structure, escalation policies and links to other sectors;
	arrangements to appoint a named influenza co-ordinator, normally the director of public health, and a pandemic planning committee with appropriately wide representation;
	arrangements for the optimum care for those affected, including ability to mobilise and direct health care resources to local hospitals at short notice to support them and to sustain patients in the community should hospital services be reduced or compromised for a period;
	ensuring they have the appropriate facilities for infection control;
	arrangements for liaison with LA colleagues and social services, including coherence of emergency plans and joint working;
	arrangements to have mutual support arrangements between neighbouring NHS organisations;
	arrangements to decide which routine NHS work can be dropped or modified, for example, what business will not be continued as usual. These arrangements should include appropriate bodies with lay representation to debate and agree in public difficult rationing decisions;
	managing the disruption caused by influenza on other NHS services and other medical conditions;
	contingency staffing arrangements for primary, acute and public health services;
	arrangements to cope with staff absenteeism and increased patient loads;
	arrangements to immunise and provide antiviral prophylaxis to essential staff according to United Kingdom guidelines;
	plans for emergency vaccination programmes according to UK guidelines, including an estimate of local vaccine and antiviral needs and arrangements for ensuring the vaccine and antivirals are distributed and administered appropriately;
	communication arrangements to healthcare professionals, the public and media, including timely cascade of information from national and international sources;
	arrange to have laboratories investigate influenza like illness, isolate strains of influenza, test antimicrobial susceptibility of secondary bacterial infections and report findings for local and UK surveillance according to UK-wide agreed protocols;
	ambulance trusts/special health boards may need to consider central co-ordination of all patient transfers during phase three of the response;
	staff training;
	a media handling strategy.
	NHS Direct is responsible for developing and maintaining up to date advice algorithms for influenza, with HPA and others, and activating them when instructed by the HPA or the Department.
	Similar arrangements to the above apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
	In the event of a communicable disease outbreak such as pandemic influenza, LAs in England and Wales have powers under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 (c.22). Key provisions include:
	powers to seek orders from a justice of the peace requiring a person to be medically examined and to be removed to and detained in hospital;
	powers for the local authority/its proper officer, or equivalents, to request a person not to work with a view to preventing the spread of infection, to require a child who has been exposed to infection not to attend school and to place restrictions on children's places of entertainment;
	the creation of criminal offences where people expose others to the risk of infection;
	some powers to require the provision of information to help control the spread of disease.
	In less serious cases of communicable disease such as food poisoning outbreaks or cases of legionnaires disease, the LA environmental health officers will have responsibility for investigating the outbreak.

Community Health Councils

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the dates on which (a) the abolition of community health councils was first proposed, (b) the legislation abolishing community health councils secured Royal Assent, (c) community health councils ceased operation, (d) patient forums commenced operation, (e) the proposal to merge patient forums was first made and (f) she expects the mergers will be complete.

Rosie Winterton: The abolition of community health councils (CHCs) was first proposed in the NHS Plan in July 2001. The National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill secured Royal Assent on 25 June 2002, and CHCs ceased operation on 1 December 2003.
	Patient forums commenced operation on 1 December 2003. The proposal to merge patients' forums was made in the Government response to the consultation on the future support arrangements for patient and public involvement in health (PPI) published on 15 March 2005. However, the Government recommendations have been subsequently put on hold pending the results of the current strategic review of PPI.

Community Matrons

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community matrons are employed in each primary care trust in the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority area; and for how many patients they are providing treatment.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Community Pharmacies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the terms of the community pharmacy contract stipulated an enhanced services expenditure floor to primary care trusts.

Jane Kennedy: No, it did not.

Contagious Diseases

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list occasions since 1997 when highly contagious diseases have been identified in the UK as having originated abroad, broken down by country of origin.

Caroline Flint: There is no agreed definition of the term highly contagious. The following cases of highly contagious diseases, have been reported to the Health Protection Agency in England and Wales since 1997.
	There was one confirmed case of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003, whose infection was acquired in Hong Kong.
	There were two confirmed cases of Lassa fever since 1997, both of whom acquired their infection in Sierra Leone, one in 2000, and the other in 2003.
	Since 1997, there have been 10 laboratory confirmed cases of cholera each year, with around a further 30 cases notified but not confirmed.
	There have been laboratory confirmed cases of shigellos, which all came from abroad. These are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Shigella boydii Shigella dysenteriae 
		
		
			 1997 79 49 
			 1998 75 43 
			 1999 70 42 
			 2000 56 26 
			 2001 52 31 
			 2002 54 23 
			 2003 94 50 
			 2004 113 53 
		
	
	There have been laboratory confirmed cases of typhoid from abroad, which are shown in the table.
	
		
			  S. Typhi 
		
		
			 1997 99 
			 1998 82 
			 1999 94 
			 2000 109 
			 2001 97 
			 2002 101 
			 2003 118 
			 2004 121 
		
	
	The information regarding country of origin is not held as a matter of routine.

Decontamination Supercentre Procurement Processes

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when further waves of the NHS decontamination supercentre procurement processes are expected to be announced;
	(2)  how many procurement competitions for the provision of decontamination supercentres (a) have been announced, (b) have been completed and (c) remain to be announced;
	(3)  what progress is being made with the national surgical instrument decontamination supercentre programme in England.

Jane Kennedy: The redeveloped sterile services centre based in King George's Hospital, Ilford and serving other national health service trusts in North East London, opened earlier this year. Twelve joint venture projects involving 63 NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts have advertised for private sector partners in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and are at various stages of the procurement. The most advanced is the project involving the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, which announced its preferred bidder earlier this year and is working towards awarding the contract by the end of this year. Service commencement is expected in the autumn of 2006.
	Six projects involving some 20 NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts have signed collaboration agreements and are preparing outline business cases prior to advertising in the OJEU later this year. We expect a total of some 100 NHS trusts to adopt a joint venture solution within the mixed economy for sterile services. We cannot, however, be exact about those that have not yet signed collaboration agreements. We have made provision for further NHS trusts to join a collaboration up to four years after contract commencement. These projects are managed locally, with local teams taking decisions such as when to advertise in the OJEU.

Delayed Hospital Discharges

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many delayed hospital discharges there were in England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact on local authorities' performance in making provision for patients discharged into their care of fines for delays to hospital discharges in England; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The fining system has had a very positive effect on reducing delays, as shown in the table.
	
		Delayed hospital discharges from 200102 to 200405
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 200102 5,473 
			 200203 4,147 
			 200304 2,821 
			 200405 2,359 
		
	
	The collection of data relating to hospital discharge began in June 2001.

Dementia Care (Essex)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Essex strategic health authority area suffer from dementia.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people were fitted with digital hearing aids in each primary care trust area in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many digital hearing aids were fitted outside the NHS but paid for by the NHS in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what the current waiting time is for fitting a digital hearing aid from initial referral to final fitting in each area in South East England.

Liam Byrne: Information on numbers of people fitted with digital hearing aids and on waiting times for fitting of digital hearing aids is not held centrally.
	We do not collect information on the number of digital hearing aids fitted outside the national health service but paid for by the NHS. However, since the Public Private Partnership (PPP) started in October 2003, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf estimates that 50,000 extra patients will be fitted with digital hearing aids by private dispensers through the PPP initiative by the end of December 2005.

E. Coli

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of E. coli have been identified in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Basildon hospital trusts over each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

East Sussex Hospitals Trust

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what involvement Ministers had in the appointment of the new chief executive of East Sussex Hospitals Trust;
	(2)  what involvement Ministers had in the departure of the previous chief executive of East Sussex Hospitals Trust.

Caroline Flint: Ministers were not involved in the departure of the previous chief executive of East Sussex Hospitals Trust, or in the appointment of the new chief executive. This is an employment matter, which was handled by the trust.

Emergency Dental Treatment

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people visited (a) NHS accident and emergency departments and (b) dental school emergency departments for emergency dental treatment in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Data are not collected centrally on the number of patients who visit national health service accident and emergency departments or dental school emergency department for emergency dental treatment. Data are collected on the number of patients admitted to NHS hospitals as emergencies for dental procedures. The table shows this information for each of the last five years.
	
		Count of finished admission episodesall operations (OPCS-4 F08-F20) dental procedures. Method of admission: emergency. NHS hospitals, England, 19992000 to 200304
		
			  Finished admission episodes 
		
		
			 19992000 4,376 
			 200001 4,426 
			 200102 4,310 
			 200203 4,797 
			 200304 4,984

First Aid Advice (Intoxication)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to publicise first aid advice to young people on how they should treat other young people who may be intoxicated.

Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	There is scope in the Personal Social and Health Education framework for schools to explore safety and emergency procedures as part of the curriculum. At Key Stage 3, the framework suggests pupils should be taught
	basic emergency procedures and where to get help and support.
	At Key Stage 4 pupils should be taught to
	develop skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic aid procedures, including resuscitation techniques.

Fluoridation

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many strategic health authority areas have water fluoridation programmes in place;
	(2)  how many people reside in areas covered by a water fluoridation programme; and what percentage of the total population this represents.

Caroline Flint: There are 10 strategic health authorities in which all or part of the population receive water to which fluoride has been added to bring it up to a concentration of one part per million. The total population involved is about 5.5 million, some 10 per cent. of the total population of England.

Fluoridation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the results of public opinion surveys initiated by strategic health authorities and primary care trusts on the fluoridation of the water supply.

Caroline Flint: The results of all public opinion surveys initiated by strategic health authorities and primary care trusts that we are aware of are shown in the table.
	
		
			Sponsor Percentage in favour of fluoridation 
		
		
			 1980 West Midlands Regional Health Authority 66 
			 1985 National Association of Health Authorities 71 
			 1987 National Association of Health Authorities 76 
			 2000 West Midlands Regional Dental Health  Promotion Group 70

Food Standards Agency

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people followed the proceedings of the meeting of the Food Standards Agency held on 15 September via the internet; what questions were raised by e-mail during that meeting; by whom the questions were raised; what answers were given; and whether she has any plans to extend provision for internet and e-mail participation in meetings and discussions of her Department and the agencies for which she is responsible.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 17 October 2005
	As part of the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) commitment to openness and transparency, all its open board meetings are webcast on the internet as a matter of course. Decisions on whether to webcast other meetings are taken on a case by case basis. The board meeting held on 15 September was viewed live via the internet by at least 368 people. Other people may have watched the recording subsequently. One question was submitted by email from Chris Whitehouse of Consumers for Health Choice: 'Assuming that the Board adopts the recommendations under Item 5 in relation to the Food Supplements Directive, what specific strategy do they have for achieving the objectives specified'. This question was addressed in the question and answer session by the chief executive, who said that, if the FSA's advice was accepted by Ministers, the FSA would be seeking to influence those officials in the commission drafting the proposals on which the negotiations would be based. The full answer can be viewed at:
	www.flyonthewall.com/FlyBroadcast/FSA/LondonBoard0905/.
	The Department conducted its first webcast on 31 May 2005, World No Tobacco Day. The webcast, aimed at policy-makers and local groups that help smokers to quit, included coverage of the international conference held with the World Health Organisation supported by a short film showing a local stop smoking support group. This initiative was an important first step in broadening access to information and exploiting online channels. The Department's next webcast will be a first for Government. In the spirit of open government, the Department will broadcast policy making, live, from the deciding national event in the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say consultation on improving community health and care services in Birmingham on 29 October. This webcast will give the public, national health service staff, charities and special interest groups, the chance to see 1,000 people debating and shaping future policy on health care outside hospitals. The webcast will be accessible from the Department's website live on the day and is likely to be available via the website for some time thereafter to enable the outcome to be compared with the resulting White Paper when this is published at the turn of the year.

General Practice

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from organisations representing patients about the inability to book general practitioner appointments in advance; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Representations have been received both from organisations and from individuals about this matter. We have made clear that it is unacceptable that some practices are continuing to deny patients the opportunity to book an appointment with a general practitioner in advance. As my noble Friend the Minister of State for Health announced on 7 September, we are therefore now taking steps to ensure that patients are offered more flexible access, including the opportunity to book ahead. At the same time, we are also now asking patients and national health service staff what more needs to be done to improve access as part of the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say public consultation.

H5N1 Vaccine

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how long the H5N1 vaccine remains viable for use after manufacture.

Caroline Flint: If stored properly, an H5N1 vaccine is likely to have a shelf life of about two years.

Health Services (Essex)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of delayed transfers of care there have been in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Basildon hospitals in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: The Department collects information on the number of cases of delayed transfer at national health service trust level. The latest data on the number of cases of delayed transfers of care at Basildon and Thurrock General Hospital NHS Trust and Southend Hospitals NHS Trust are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust Southend Hospitals NHS Trust 
		
		
			 200203 29 43 
			 200304 41 37 
			 200405 20 17 
			 200506 25 20 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These figures are based on a snapshot taken on the last typical Thursday in the year.
	2. 200506 data are the latest available.
	Source:
	SitReps.

Health Services (Essex)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many MRSA cases have occurred in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Basildon in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the format requested. However, the best available information is from the mandatory meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections bacteraemia surveillance scheme which started in April. The data for the last three years for Southend Hospital National Health Service Trust and Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are shown in the table.
	
		Number of cases of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias
		
			  April 2002 to March 2003 April 2003 to March 2004 April 2004 to March 2005 
		
		
			 Basildon and Thurrock  University Hospitals NHS  Foundation Trust 38 30 42 
			 Southend Hospital NHS Trust 23 27 19

Health Services (Essex)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of hepatitis have been identified in the Essex strategic health authority in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: The incidence of hepatitis in the Essex strategic health authority area is collected as finished consultant episodes (FCEs), the details of which are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Patient count 
		
		
			 200102 347 
			 200203 348 
			 200304 414 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data is ungrossed).
	2. Patient counts are based on the unique patient identifier HESID. This identifier is derived based on patient's date of birth, postcode, sex, local patient identifier and NHS number, using an agreed algorithm. Where data are incomplete, HESID might erroneously link episodes or fail to recognise episodes for the same patient. Care is therefore needed, especially where duplicate records persist in the data. The patient count cannot be summed across a table where patients may have episodes in more than one cell.
	3. Hospital episode statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Health and Social Care Information Centre liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
	Source:
	HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Health Services (Essex)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many occupational therapists have been employed within the Essex strategic health authority in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of occupational therapists that have been employed within the Essex strategic health authority (SHA) area in each of the last three years are shown in the table.
	
		National health service hospital and community health services: qualified occupational therapists in the Essex SHA area by organisation as at 30 September in each specified year -- Headcount
		
			  Organisation code 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Essex SHA total Q03 454 460 447 
			  
			 Primary care trusts (PCTs) 
			 Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford PCT 5GP 13 13 10 
			 Castle Point and Rochford PCT 5JP 1 1 (85) 
			 Colchester PCT 5GM 29 44 27 
			 Epping Forest PCT 5AJ 40 50 55 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust RDE 32 30 32 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford PCT 5GL 12 19 14 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust RQ8 27 28 26 
			 New Possibilities NHS Trust RDH 58 (86) (86) 
			 North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RRD 59 86 88 
			 South Essex Partnership NHS Trust RWN 82 81 105 
			 Southend Hospital NHS Trust RAJ 19 26 27 
			 Southend-on-Sea PCT 5AK 18 19 17 
			 Tendring PCT 5AH 4 7 4 
			 Thurrock PCT 5GQ 60 54 36 
			 Witham Braintree and Halstead Care Trust TAG (85) 2 6 
		
	
	(85) Zero.
	(86) Not applicable.
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census.

Health Staff (Duty of Care)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) doctors' and (b) nurses' duty of care is to patients (i) before death and (ii) after death.

Rosie Winterton: The doctors' Hippocratic Oath and nurses' professional code of conduct both clearly outline the duty of care to patients that each profession has. Each national health service trust has a clear policy on how to care for both the body of a deceased patient and his or her relatives with sensitivity and respect.

Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Strategic Health Authority

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the outturn against planned expenditure for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire strategic health authority in 200506; and what the predicted outturn is for (a) 200607 and (b) 200708.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 21 October 2005
	The latest data available on the financial position of national health service organisationsstrategic health authority (SHAs), primary care trusts and NHS trustsis for 200405.
	The deficit for the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire SHA economy for 200405 was 61 million.
	We are expecting a similar position in 200506, but we expect to see significant improvements in 200607 and 200708.

HIV/AIDS

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what grounds HIV treatment is available free of charge to people living in England;
	(2)  what the policy on charging overseas visitors to the United Kingdom for HIV treatment in England is.

Jane Kennedy: Anyone who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom is eligible to receive national health service hospital treatment, including HIV treatment, free of charge, subject to any statutory charges that may apply, such as prescription charges.
	The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, specify that anyone who is not ordinarily resident in the UK must be treated as an overseas visitor, and is liable to pay for any NHS hospital treatment received unless they meet one of the exemption criteria in the regulations. One such exemption covers the initial diagnostic testing for HIV/AIDS and any associated counselling, so that these are free to all irrespective of residency status. Subsequent treatment, however, should the test prove positive, is not free to all and an overseas visitor who is not otherwise exempt under one of the other criteria is expected to pay for any HIV/AIDS treatment they receive.

HIV/AIDS

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies have contracted HIV/AIDS from their HIV positive mothers during (a) pregnancy and (b) birth in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Caroline Flint: It is not possible to distinguish between infections acquired during pregnancy and at delivery. The number of infants known to have been infected through mother to child transmission is available. Data on HIV in infants is available from the national study of HIV in pregnancy and childhood (NSHPC), the national surveillance system for diagnosed obstetric and paediatric HIV, based at the Institute of Child Health. Estimates of the total number of HIV positive women giving birth, diagnosed and undiagnosed, are available from the unlinked anonymous survey of HIV sero-prevalence in pregnant women co-ordinated by the Health Protection Agency.
	The numbers of infants infected by their HIV positive mothers, born in the United Kingdom since 1999 and reported to the NSHPC to date are shown in table one. This table does not include any infected children who were well following birth and have not yet been diagnosed, nor any who have been reported but whose infection status has not yet been clarified (likely to be small numbers).
	
		Table 1: Number of babies reported to NSHPC, and confirmed infected, 19992004
		
			 Year of birth (UK births only) Maternal diagnosis before or around time of delivery Diagnosis after delivery Total infected 
		
		
			 1999 4 33 37 
			 2000 6 42 48 
			 2001 5 20 25 
			 2002 12 19 31 
			 2003 6 15 21 
			 2004 6 10 16 
		
	
	Note:
	Includes reports received by end of September 2005, subject to reporting delay.

Hospital Staffing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many agency staff have been employed in the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust (a) as doctors, (b) as nurses and (c) in other capacities in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Hypertension

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of hypertension has been in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available in exactly the form requested. The Health Survey for England records annual prevalence data, which are shown in the table.
	
		Prevalence of high blood pressure by survey year. All adults aged 16 and over with a valid blood pressure reading and data on medication 
		
			  Percentage Sample size 
		
		
			 1998 36.5 11,884 
			 1999   
			 2000 36.2 5,598 
			 2001 37.5 10,653 
			 2002 35.4 4,829 
			 2003 34.4 9,183 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Because the 1999 survey focused on the health of ethnic minorities, no results are available for the general population in England.
	2. The survey defines hypertension as high blood pressure when above the threshold of 140/90 mmHg or on treatment.
	Source:
	Health Survey for England.

Influenza Vaccine

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantities of influenza drugs her Department plans to stockpile in preparation for a potential avian influenza pandemic.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 21 October 2005
	We have ordered 14.6 million antiviral doses to treat the 25 per cent. of the population who may become ill in an influenza pandemic. Deliveries began in August and our delivery schedule indicates that the stockpile should be complete by September 2006.

Influenza Vaccine

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which manufacturers supply winter influenza vaccines to the NHS.

Caroline Flint: The following manufacturers supply flu vaccines: Sanofi Pasteur MSD, Chiron Vaccines, GlaxoSmithKline, MASTA, Solvay Healthcare and Wyeth Vaccines.
	Details of which manufacturers are supplying flu vaccine for this year's flu campaign are provided each year in a Chief Medical Officer's letter and is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/ll/65/17/04116517.pdf.

Influenza Vaccine

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued on the most effective time during the year for winter influenza vaccines to be administered to at-risk groups.

Caroline Flint: Guidance issued in Immunisation against Infectious Disease, the Green book, and in national health service information materials recommends that flu vaccine be given before the main flu season. We suggest that the vaccine is offered from September to early November. However, it can be given up until the time that the flu virus starts to circulate.

Influenza Vaccine

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure continuity of supply of influenza vaccine.

Caroline Flint: General practitioner practices make their own contractual arrangements with vaccine manufacturers for the supply of seasonal flu vaccine. At the beginning of the year, departmental officials met with manufacturers to discuss supply arrangements and the number of vaccine doses required for this year's flu campaign. The Department is also purchasing a contingency stock of seasonal flu vaccine that can be made available to minimise any problem in supply to GPs.

Influenza Vaccine

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) influenza vaccine and (b) H5N1 vaccine has been allocated to the Dorset and Somerset health authority area; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 October 2005
	Information on influenza vaccine allocations is not held centrally or by Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority or the individual primary care trusts. Each general practice orders the amount of influenza vaccine they require based on their practice list and the number of people they have in vulnerable and at risk groups.
	A tender has been issued for H5N1 vaccine, which could be offered to health care workers in the event of a pandemic. This vaccine is not currently available but the plan is to hold stocks centrally when it is delivered.

Mental Health

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in developing the provision of a mental health telephone helpline.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has committed 5 million to the Mental Health Helplines Partnership (MHHP) between 200405 and 200607. The MHHP's steering group works with the programme management board at the Department to decide on how the MHHP spends its funding.
	The MHHP comprises the majority of major national and local voluntary and community sector mental health telephone helpline providers (around 50), excluding membership organisations, and MHHP organisations handle over 5 million telephone calls/contacts per year, or 99 per cent. of all calls made to mental health helplines.
	In addition, NHS Direct responds to about 325,000 calls per year from people with mental health issues. NHS Direct works in close partnership with the member organisations of the MHHP.

Mental Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data the annual mapping of older people's mental health services will collect; and when (a) the first exercise will be completed and (b) the data validated.

Liam Byrne: For the first time this year the Department will be supporting service mapping of older people's mental health services done on its behalf by Durham University's centre for applied social research. The mapping will support local commissioning discussions, in nationally benchmarking service elements alongside local activity data and improving understanding of the local service models, as well as providing the basis of a local service directory for users and carers. This exercise will commence in November 2005 and conclude on 31 March 2006 after which data will be available. It is envisaged that similar data collections will be supported annually. Finance data on older people's mental health services will also be included for the first time in this autumn's national finance mapping of mental health services.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients went to see their GP about mental health problems in (a) 1994 and (b) 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not centrally available. The First National GP Survey of Mental Health in Primary Care (Mental After Care Association, 1999) reported that general practitioners spend on average 30 per cent. of their time on mental health problems. This publication is available at: www.together-uk.org/temp/GPsspandspmentalsphealthspreport.pdf.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of children who care for a mentally ill parent.

Rosie Winterton: In 200304, approximately 7,900 carers under the age of 18 in England cared for a parent with a mental illness.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to support children who care for their mentally ill parent.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have shown the importance it attaches to supporting children who care for parents with a mental illness, through the 1999 national service framework for mental health (NSFMH), the NHS Plan (2000), and the 2004 national service framework for children, young people and maternity services (NSFC).
	The NSFMH sets out national standards, future aims and priorities for mental health services in England over a 10-year period. Specifically, standard six, Caring about carers, identifies the needs of all individuals who provide substantial care for a person on a care plan approach. This is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/09/05/66/04090566.pdf.
	The NSF is also supported by the NHS Plan (2000) which sets a target of having 700 carer support workers in place by the end of 2004: by the end of March 2005, 654 (more than 93 per cent., of this target) carer support workers were in post, which represents a very significant achievement.
	Standard two of the NSFCSupporting parentingrecognises that special circumstances exist in some families, including parental mental illness and where children may be unpaid carers. This NSF identifies the need for support to those children who are carers and is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/09/05/66/04090566.pdf.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government have allocated to child and adolescent mental health services during each of the past three years; and how much it plans to allocate in each of the next three years.

Liam Byrne: The available information is shown in the table. These funds are in addition to the funding included in the general resources available to the national health service and local authorities for the development of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). CAMHS funding for the national health service in 200607 and 200708 has yet to be determined. CAMHS funding in 200809 and thereafter will be part of the forthcoming comprehensive spending review.
	
		CAMHS funding200304 to 200708 --  million
		
			  Local authority revenue NHS revenue NHS capital 
		
		
			 200304 51.0   
			 200405 67.0 20.0 20.0 
			 200506 90.5 50.0 20.0 
			 200607 90.5   
			 200708 90.5   
		
	
	Funding in 200607 and 200708 is subject to approval by Parliament.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many episodes of cognitive behavioural therapy have been conducted with NHS patients with mental illness in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many (a) adults and (b) children received cognitive behavioural therapy treatment for mental illness in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not centrally available.

MMR

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doses of MMR vaccine have been purchased from overseas suppliers in the current year; broken down by (a) source and (b) cost.

Caroline Flint: The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is purchased from United Kingdom-registered companies.

New Dental School

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she has established for universities bidding for a new dental school; what representations she has received from universities bidding to open a new dental school; and what timeframe she has put in place for the selection of a new university dental school.

Rosie Winterton: The management of the Government's programme for the expansion of dental education is being undertaken by a joint implementation group (JIG) comprising representatives of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Department and the national health service. In inviting bids, the JIG set the following criteria: geographical context, innovation, quality, value for money and widening participation. Bids have been received both from universities wishing to expand their existing dental schools and from those currently without a school. The JIG will be putting its recommendations to the HEFCE in time for the board to decide the location of the additional training places at its meeting in January 2006.

NHS Funding

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received since 2003 from (a) the Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk Strategic Health Authority, (b) the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust and (c) the West Suffolk Primary Care Trust requesting an increase in their NHS funding allocation.

Rosie Winterton: According to departmental records, there have been no representations to the Department since 2003 from either of these organisations on this matter.

NHS Prescription Costs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS prescriptions were made (a) to all people and (b) to people aged over 60 years for (i) chlorpromazine (largactil), (ii) thioridazine, (iii) haloperidol (seranacem, haldol, dozic), (iv) promazine (sparine), (v) flupentixol (depixol, fluanxol), (vi) olanzapine (zyprexa), (vii) pericyazine (neulactil), (viii) risperidone (risperidol), (ix) sulpiride (dolmatil, sulpitil), (x) trifluoperazine (stealazine) and (xi) clozapine (cloxaril); and if she will estimate the cost to the NHS of prescribing each of them in that year.

Rosie Winterton: In 2004, the national health service in England prescribed antipsychotic medicines in the quantities shown in table one. The second column shows the total quantities prescribed for each medicine, aggregating all generic brands and strengths of each medicine. The third column shows the total number of prescriptions for these medicines issued to persons aged over 60 years.
	The information in the third column is based on a one in 20 sample of all exempt prescriptions identified by the Prescription Pricing Authority from those dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. This information is an estimate and is subject to sampling errors. Also included are prescriptions issued in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data does not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts.
	Table two shows the costs of each of these medicines to the NHS in England in 2004. These figures do not include any discounts over and above drug tariff rates, nor any dispensing costs or fees.
	
		Table 1: Antipsychotic medicines prescribed in England in 2004  -- Quantity (Thousand)
		
			  Total NHS prescriptions in England 
			 Name of medicine In 2004 In 2004 to patients aged over 60 
		
		
			 Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 656 214.8 
			 Thioridazine 77 40.5 
			 Haloperidol 431 256.2 
			 Promazine Hydrochloride 182.5 116.1 
			 Flupentixol Hydrochloride 222.5 112.6 
			 Olanzapine 1,375.8 459 
			 Pericyazine 43.1 14.1 
			 Risperidone 1,228 579 
			 Sulpiride 213.3 82.9 
			 Trifluoperazine 420.9 209.2 
			 Clozapine 6.7 0.6 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Antipsychotic medicines prescribed in England in 2004
		
			 Name of medicine Cost to NHS (000) 
		
		
			 Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride 1,389.4 
			 Thioridazine 151.1 
			 Haloperidol 1,997.1 
			 Promazine Hydrochloride 525.9 
			 Flupentixol Hydrochloride 812.2 
			 Olanzapine 109,862.8 
			 Pericyazine 417.6 
			 Risperidone 48,845.5 
			 Sulpiride 2,384.7 
			 Trifluoperazine 1,223.3 
			 Clozapine 742.4

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how many the procurement staff establishment at the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is to be reduced; and what savings she estimates this will produce.

Jane Kennedy: The function and structure of the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) has been subject to a review as part of the supply chain excellence programme (SCEP)encompassing all Department of Health and NHS purchasing and supply activity. This review was undertaken by the commercial directorate and the output has been integrated into the arm's length body review process and ratified as part of the department wide programme.
	The result is that the NHS PASA has refocused an increased level of resource on procurement and procurement support operations, while maintaining an establishment unchanged at 340.8 whole-time equivalent.
	While no changes have been made to the establishment, the whole organisation has been subject to radical changes in structure, resource focus and work processes. The result is a significant increase in savings available to the NHSincluding a target of 250 million per annum savings arising from the national contracting programme element of SCEP.

Obesity

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary school pupils in (a) England, (b) London and (c) Kingston and Surbiton are identified as (i) overweight and (ii) obese.

Caroline Flint: The available information, taken from the Health Survey for England, is shown in the table. No specific figures are available for Kingston and Surbiton, but these areas are included in the figure for London.
	
		Prevalence of child overweight and obesity among English children aged five10 by sex -- Percentage
		
			 Body mass index (BMI) status London Government office region  England 
		
		
			 Boys   
			 Overweight 7.5 14.6 
			 Obese 23.0 16.2 
			 Overweight including obese 30.5 30.8 
			 Girls   
			 Overweight 12.5 14.3 
			 Obese 16.3 13.3 
			 Overweight including obese 28.9 27.6 
			 Number of children surveyed 
			 Boys 76 634 
			 Girls 63 655 
		
	
	Note:
	UK National BMI percentile classification used to classify overweight and obesity in children.
	Source:
	Health Survey for England 2003

Oxygen Supply Service

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the new regional oxygen supply service to be introduced; whether its start date has been delayed; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The new home oxygen service is to be introduced from 1 February 2006. Legal action prevented the Department from signing contracts to allow the service to be introduced from 1 October 2005 as intended. We consulted the national health service, pharmacist representatives and the new service contractors on the earliest possible date for introducing the new service. All agreed that it should be 1 February 2006 to avoid placing undue pressures on the home oxygen service when patient demand is at its peak in the months of December and January.

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admission episodes relating to peripheral vascular disease there have been in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Finished admission episodesprimary diagnosisperipheral vascular disease (Please see selected codes in footnotes), national health service hospital trusts in England, 199798 to 200304
		
			  Finished admission episodes 
		
		
			 199798 134,481 
			 199899 142,325 
			 19992000 132,208 
			 200001 130,404 
			 200102 122,819 
			 200203 126,014 
			 200304 121,464 
		
	
	Note:
	1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 200203) diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	3. The following ICD-10 codes cover or include peripheral vascular disease. In some cases, they also include vascular diseases of other sites, but it is impossible to specify further:
	170.2 Atherosclerosis of arteries or extremities
	172.1 Aneurysm of artery of upper extremity 172.4 Aneurysm of artery of lower extremity
	173.0 Raynaud's syndrome 173.1 Thromboangiitis obliterans [Buerger]
	173.8 Other specified peripheral vascular diseases
	173.9 Peripheral vascular disease, unspecified
	174.2 Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of upper extremities
	174.3 Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of lower extremities 174.4 Embolism and thrombosis of arteries of extremities, unspecified
	177.0 Arteriovenous fistula, acquired
	177.1 Stricture of artery
	177.2 Rupture of artery
	177.3 Arterial fibromuscular dysplasia
	177.5 Necrosis of artery
	177.6 Arteritis, unspecified
	177.8 Other specified disorders of arteries and arterioles
	177.9 Disorder of arteries and arterioles, unspecified
	180.0 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of superficial vessels of lower extremities
	180.1 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of femoral vein
	180.2 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities
	180.3 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of lower extremities, unspecified
	180.8 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other sites
	180.9 Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of unspecified site
	183.0 Varicose veins of lower extremities with ulcer
	183.1 Varicose veins of lower extremities with inflammation
	183.2 Varicose veins of lower extremities with both ulcer and inflammation
	183.9 Varicose veins of lower extremities without ulcer or inflammation
	187.2 Venous insufficiency (chronic) (peripheral)
	187.8 Other specified disorders of veins
	187.9 Disorder of vein, unspecified 4. Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 200304, which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source:
	HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Pharmacies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the future of (a) dispensing rural pharmacies and (b) community pharmacies;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the financial viability of dispensing rural pharmacies.

Jane Kennedy: We are determined to improve access to, and the choice of, pharmacy services for patients. Community pharmacies provide a highly valued service and we are committed to their on-going development and integration in the national health service within the structure of the new contractual framework introduced from April 2005. We wish to encourage innovation and excellence in service provision while at the same time recognising the vital role community pharmacies play, particularly in poorer and rural areas.
	We wish to ensure that patients are able to access the same standard of services in rural areas. Support has been available nationally through the essential small pharmacy scheme. This has, subject to certain conditions, provided a guaranteed minimum income to support a pharmacy which might otherwise be unviable. From 1 April 2006, arrangements will change so that pharmacies within the scheme currently can either contract locally, again subject to conditions, with their NHS primary care trust for the provision of their services and continue to receive additional financial support or choose to be within the general provisions and payment system of the new contractual framework.

Public Health (Control of Disease) Act

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to review the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 20 October 2005
	Getting Ahead of the Curve, the infectious disease strategy published by the Chief Medical Officer in January 2002 made clear our intention of reviewing the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.
	In preparation for the review, the Department has asked the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to consider how public health practitioners might make more effective use of the powers currently provided by the 1984 Act, and what difficulties practitioners find with the current powers and what changes might be desirable. We expect to receive the results of the first instalment of the HPA's work shortly, and will want to consider with the HPA at that stage when and in what form it would be appropriate to publish the results of its work.
	We will decide, in the light of work by the HPA and of other developments such as the World Health Organisation's adoption of new international health regulations, how to take the review forward. Our aim will be to consider whether and how the law could be modernised to ensure protection of the public while respecting the rights of the individual. If it seems that changes to the law would be desirable, we shall of course want to consult those affected before proceeding.

Ritalin

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for Ritalin and similar drugs have been made in each of the last 20 years.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The information requested is shown in the table, which shows the total number of items dispensed in the community in England for Ritalin and similar drugs for the period 1991 to 2004.
	Prior to 1991, data were collected on a sample basis only, and this is not strictly comparable with the later data.
	
		Total number of items dispensed in the community in England since 1991 -- Number of items (Thousand)
		
			  Drug Name 
			  Concerta Equasym Metadate Methylphenidate HCL Ritalin Tranquilyn 
		
		
			 1991 2.00  
			 19920.00 2.61  
			 19930.01 3.49  
			 19940.02 6.00  
			 19950.00 14.69  
			 19960.01 47.87  
			 19970.03 92.05  
			 19980.03 126.59  
			 19990.04 157.92  
			 2000  4.90  0.04 181.25  
			 2001 0.12 27.71  0.05 180.57  
			 2002 44.60 47.04 0.05 0.43 161.81 0.02 
			 2003 134.92 54.47 0.01 0.34 124.51 0.22 
			 2004 189.20 34.14 0.01 67.57 67.85 0.30 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Prescription information is taken from the prescription cost analysis (PCA) system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA), and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.
	2. Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.
	Source:
	PCA, PPA.

Saneline

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will assist the funding of Saneline.

Rosie Winterton: Voluntary and community sector organisations, including SANE, are eligible to apply for Government funding schemes aimed at the voluntary and community sector.

Seroxat

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has initiated research into the effect of Seroxat on babies in the first three months of pregnancy.

Jane Kennedy: A number of epidemiological studies have been conducted to examine potential adverse effects in babies of women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) antidepressants, including paroxetine (brand name Seroxat), either in the first three months of pregnancy or at any time during pregnancy. The majority of these studies have not provided evidence of an increased risk of birth defects with SSRI antidepressants such as paroxetine.
	Recently, initial results from a new study conducted by the Seroxat manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, suggest that paroxetine may increase the risk of birth defects. On receiving these new data, the Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency promptly sought expert advice from the independent scientific advisory committee, the committee on safety of medicines (CSM). The CSM has requested that further analyses should be conducted and additional information sought before a conclusion can be reached on whether or not paroxetine increases the risk of congenital malformations. In the meantime the product information for paroxetine is being updated Europe-wide to reflect these new data.
	If Seroxat is taken by women in late pregnancy, it is recognised that it may cause withdrawal reactions/serotonergic effects in newborns and the product information for patients has appropriate warnings.
	Current advice is that paroxetine should only be used in pregnancy when strictly indicated and only if the expected benefit to the mother is thought to be greater than any potential risk to the foetus.

Smoking

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of (a) the number of under-18s in England who are smokers and (b) the percentage of underage smokers who come from smoking households.

Caroline Flint: The data are not available in the requested form. Table one shows the estimated number of smokers, to the nearest hundred thousand, for the age groups 1115 and 1619. This uses the most recent data available.
	
		Table 1: Estimated number of smokers aged 1115 and 1619, England 2004
		
			 Age Estimated prevalence (percentage)(87)(5508210088) Estimated population(89) Estimated number of smokers (nearest 100,000) Bases  UnweightedWeighted (000) 
		
		
			 1115 9 3,252,238 300,000 9,618 n/a 
			 1619 25 2,611,397 700,000 784 2,006 
		
	
	Note:
	Due to the small sample sizes for given age ranges in the General Household Survey (GHS), data is given for 1619 rather than under 18s. This is the format of the reporting in the GHS.
	Sources:
	(87) NatCen/NFER Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2004
	(88) Office for National Statistics (ONS) The General Household Survey 200304
	(89) ONS mid-year population estimates, 2004 (based on the 2001 census).
	77 per cent. of regular smokers aged 1115 come from a smoking household. This is shown in table two.
	
		Table 2: Smoking status of secondary school children aged 1115, by smoking status of household. England 2004 -- Percentage
		
			  Non-smoking household Smoking household Total Bases 
		
		
			 Not answered 47 53 100 81 
			 Regular smoker 23 77 100 808 
			 Occasional smoker 43 57 100 514 
			 Non smoker 58 42 100 8,026 
			 Total 55 45 100 9,431 
		
	
	Note:
	A smoking household is defined here as one in which there are one or more smokers other than the pupil.
	Source:
	NatCen/NFER Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2004.

Sperm Count

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average sperm count among UK males in each year from 1976.

Caroline Flint: No estimate has been made of the average sperm count amongst United Kingdom males as this information is not collected centrally.

St. Albans and Harpenden PCT

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's assessment is of the provision of genito-urinary medicine within St. Albans; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Commissioning of these services is a matter for the local primary care trust. The Department has commissioned the Medical Foundation for Aids and Sexual Health to undertake a review of every genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic in the country and St. Albans will receive a visit in due course. Between 200203 and 200506, the Department has invested an extra additional 176,000 for improvements in access to GUM services within St. Albans. Waiting times data show an improvement in the percentage of people being seen within 48 hours by the GUM clinic in St. Albans, which is shown in the table.
	
		Percentage of people seen within 48 hours by the GUM clinic in St. Albans
		
			  November 2004 May 2005 
		
		
			 Male 48 55 
			 Female 42 58

Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospital trusts in the Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority area are operating a freeze on recruitment of medical staff.

Caroline Flint: This is a local matter for individual trusts in the Surrey and Sussex area. The Department does not hold this information.

Utilities

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice and regulations govern the purchase of electricity and gas by NHS organisations; and whether such advice is issued by (a) individual NHS organisations, (b) strategic health authorities and (c) her Department.

Jane Kennedy: Approximately 85 per cent. of gas and electricity is purchased via centrally arranged contracts arranged by the national health service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA), which provides advice and guidance on several different options for procuring gas and electricity.
	The purchase of gas and electricity is carried out in accordance with European Union procurement legislation, with the actual purchase decision being taken by trusts.
	A recent review of best practice for energy procurement found that the procurement techniques used by NHS PASA are in line with best practices used by both the private and public sector.

Weight Management Clinics

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will list primary care bodies which have set up weight management clinics;
	(2)  how many general practitioners have set up weight management clinics.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally. However, the Department has asked strategic health authorities to develop plans in line with the public service agreement target to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity among children aged under 11 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole. Action to manage, prevent and treat obesity in the national health service is set out in the White Paper Choosing Health.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is preparing definitive guidance on the prevention, identification, management and treatment of obesity. This is due in early 2007. Meanwhile, in order to help and support primary care trusts on improving obesity services, the Department is developing tools such as a weight loss guide, obesity care pathway and obesity toolkit, due for publication at end of 2005. There are also seven adult and seven child NHS obesity clinics in England.

Weight Management Clinics

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care bodies monitor the prevalence of obesity.

Caroline Flint: From 200506, for the first time, all strategic health authorities (SHAs) and primary care trusts (PCTs) are required to return performance monitoring data on the obesity status of adults registered with general practitioners, as part of the national health service local delivery plan process. To monitor obesity in primary care, it is important that levels of recording are as complete as possible. Initially therefore, SHAs/PCTs will be assessed against improvements in levels of primary care recording of adult obesity status.